Dream on, analysts tell PBK

 

PBK president Voon Lee Shan claimed his party could create many upsets in rural seats.

KUCHING: The fledgling Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK), which was registered in 2013, may have big ambitions but it has little chance of even making a dent in the coming state elections, due in June next year, say political analysts.

The Sarawak-based party has announced that it will contest all the 82 seats but analyst Jayum Jawan of Universiti Putra Malaysia said PBK was not a viable party in the state as its leaders were not known among the local community.

He said that in the urban areas, the party would have to go up against DAP, which has been well-received among the Chinese who are majority voters there. “It is also unlikely that PBK can win any seats in the semi-urban or rural seats where the majority voters are Dayak. The party does not have credible Dayak personalities or leaders,” he told FMT.

“It will be great if candidates from this new party, led by relatively unknown personalities, can even keep their election deposits,” he said.

“The party cannot compete with GPS, the ruling government, or even with another local opposition party, the Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB), which has some established leaders,” he added.

He was commenting on PBK’s recent announcement that the party would go solo and contest in all urban and rural seats without working with any local and Malayan political parties.

PBK president Voon Lee Shan, a former DAP assemblyman, claimed his party could create many upsets in rural seats.

Another analyst, James Chin of the University of Tasmania’s Asia Institute, said it was quite impossible for PBK to win any seats, especially in the urban areas.

“The urban areas are still dominated by DAP and SUPP. Hence, any other small parties don’t stand a chance.

“In fact, by deciding to contest in the urban seats, PBK could be doing a flavour to SUPP, a component party of GPS – as they may help split opposition votes or reduce DAP’s majority,” he said.

Chin said while PBK may reduce DAP’s majority, most of its candidates are expected to lose their deposits. - FMT