Dayak Discontent Could Cost GPS Seats in Sarawak Polls, but Two-Thirds Majority Seen Safe

PETALING JAYA – Growing Dayak discontent and possible changes to its candidate line-up could cost Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) some seats in the coming state election, although the ruling coalition is still expected to retain its two-thirds majority, according to a political analyst.

Datuk Dr Jayum Anak Jawan, a fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, said any GPS losses would most likely come from Dayak-majority or Chinese-majority constituencies. Malay-Melanau voters, he said, were unlikely to abandon Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB).

He said sentiment among Dayak voters over several issues widely discussed on social media could carry over into the election. Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak could also gain momentum as nomination day approaches, potentially putting several Dayak seats at risk, and some constituencies could see unexpected opposition wins, depending partly on how Dayak opposition parties position themselves.

Candidate selection a possible weak point

Jayum said candidate selection could expose weaknesses within GPS, particularly if long-serving incumbents are dropped or overlooked. He pointed to some senior figures on the Pesaka side of PBB who are said to have reached the end of their agreed terms.

In Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), members aligned with the faction that lost in the party’s recent internal elections could also be left out of the line-up, which he said might create problems for the party, citing informed party sources.

Dayak Discontent – Opposition yet to offer a compelling alternative

Despite these risks, Jayum said GPS remains well placed to keep its two-thirds majority because the opposition has so far failed to offer new issues and strategies to voters.

On the Chinese vote, he said Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) was unlikely to lose its standing as the community’s preferred party. The Democratic Action Party (DAP) could win some urban Chinese-majority seats, but not enough to dent SUPP’s position, which he attributed to party president Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian’s efforts to rebuild Chinese support over the past decade.

SUPP also faces competition from fellow GPS component Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), which Jayum said is making inroads into its traditional territory. He noted that PDP president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing contested Dudong, a seat traditionally associated with SUPP, in the previous state election. With SUPP’s former Bawang Assan assemblyman now in PDP, the two parties are expected to compete to represent that area within GPS.

GPS currently holds 80 of the 82 seats in the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly: PBB has 47, SUPP 13, PRS 11 and PDP nine. DAP holds the remaining two.

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