Sarawak DAP and PKR Now Caught Between Federal Ties and State Ambitions

PETALING JAYA – Sarawak DAP and PKR face a dilemma ahead of the state election, as their federal-level ties with Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) could complicate efforts to challenge the ruling coalition and expand their own electoral foothold in the state.

Political analyst Datuk Dr Jayum Anak Jawan said both parties must balance their roles in the federal government alongside GPS against the need to defend and strengthen their positions in Sarawak.

DAP’s precarious position

Jayum said DAP remains an opposition party in Sarawak and has no partnership with GPS or any of its component parties, despite sitting in the federal administration. He said it would not benefit Sarawak DAP to be on friendly terms with GPS and described its position as precarious.

The dilemma could deepen, he said, if DAP’s national leadership asked its Sarawak chapter to accommodate GPS, potentially limiting the number of seats it could contest.

Federal Ties: PKR in a tight spot

PKR is also in a tight spot over whether to contest in Sarawak, Jayum said. National PKR leaders directed the party’s Sarawak chapter in July to fully activate its machinery ahead of the state election.

He said PKR appears keen to keep good relations with GPS in the hope that the coalition would help it secure seats after the 16th general election (GE16). However, he cautioned against assuming GPS would remain loyal after GE16, as its choice of federal partners would depend on the election result and which parties could command enough seats to form a government.

Staying out of elections in Sarawak, whether state or federal, could disappoint PKR members by denying them chances to expand the party’s presence, Jayum said. Challenging GPS and PBB, on the other hand, would let PKR test its electoral strength and show whether a more assertive approach would put it in a stronger position when dealing with them.

Background

The four GPS component parties – PBB, the Sarawak United Peoples’ Party, Parti Rakyat Sarawak and the Progressive Democratic Party – left Barisan Nasional on June 12, 2018, after its defeat in the 14th general election. GPS later supported the formation of the Unity Government after GE15 in 2022.

Both DAP and PKR performed poorly in the 2021 Sarawak state election. PKR lost all 28 seats it contested, with 22 of its candidates losing their deposits, while DAP retained only Padungan and Pending, down from the seven seats it won in 2016, when PKR won three.

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