With the Chinese out of the way, the Dayak-dominated parties within Sarawak BN are eyeing the deputy chief minister's post.
KUCHING: In the wake of Sarawak United Peoples Party’s (SUPP) defeat in the just-concluded Sarawak election, the Deputy Chief Minister’s (DCM) post it once held appears to be up for grabs.Word is that Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president James Masing is eyeing the seat and the only route available is to re-establish long-mooted talks to merge Dayak-based parties PRS and “rival brother” Sarawak Democratic Progressive Party (SPDP).
PRS currently has the upper hand having won eight of its nine seats in the April 16 state polls. SPDP won six of the eight seats it contested.
Sarawak has two DCM posts. One is held by lead party Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) deputy president Alfred Jabu Numpang, who retained his Layar seat and the other by SUPP president Dr George Chan.
Six-term incumbent Chan lost his Piasau seat to DAP greenhorn Ling Sie Kiong by 1,590 votes.
Chan’s defeat, along with two other assistant ministers – David Teng Lung Chi and Tan Joo Phoi – has put an end to his DCM position and Chinese representation in the state cabinet.
SUPP’s four Bidayuh-Dayak assemblymen – Francis Harden (Simanggang), Jerip Susil (Bengoh), Ranum Mina (Opar) and Johnical Rayong (Engkilili) – won their respective seats.
According to Teng, the four have been “nominated” for the post.
But at the CWC meeting yesterday, their nominations, according to sources, led to a “heated argument” which saw party deputy secretary-general Wong Soon Koh leave the meeting in a huff.
Bigger representation
With SUPP’s representation in Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s cabinet literally “downsized” , the Dayak dominant parties are now looking at a bigger representation.
Rumours are rife that the PRS and SPDP will resume talks immediately.
Yesterday, Masing when asked, simply said: “We’ll talk about it.”
His comment prompted SPDP president William Mawan to later tell reporters: ” If that is what Masing said, I’ll say the same thing.”
The Dayaks currently have the upper hand in the government following their overwhelming support for the Barisan Nasional (BN) and would want to leverage on this with Taib.
In this scenario, Masing seems the ideal choice as the common view is that the president of the merged entity should be the one helming the post.
PRS and SPDP have been talking about merging for years but for some reason never quite took off.
The groups had even gone as far as shortlisting names for the new entity.
Discussions on the possible merger of the Dayak parties have had the blessings of Taib who has in the past opined that it would be a major step to consolidating native-based coalition in Sarawak.
Except for opposition DAP, PKR, PAS and Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM), all other political parties in Sarawak are native-based.
Taib’s approval
On the speculated merger talks between PRS and SPDP, Taib said: “It is a good step. My advice to them is when you go for a merger you must go through a process like that of a married life.
“You ought to learn what your partners are like and then try to understand them.”
Citing the formation of PBB as an example, Taib told reporters that PBB’s formation was a result of two consecutive merger processes.
The first was held on March 25, 1968 between Parti Negara Sarawak (Panas) and Barisan Rakyat Jati Sarawak (Barjasa). Together they formed a common entity called Parti Bumiputera Sarawak (PBS).
Then on April 30, 1973, PBS merged with Pesaka to form PBB.
After PBB was formed, Taib became deputy president while the president was former Pesaka founder Tun Jugah Barieng.
The merger processes, Taib said, required a lot of adjustments that had to be made.
“But eventually they (parties) became a very cohesive party.”
Sarawak BN comprises four parties, namely PBB, PRS SPDP and SUPP.
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NewDimension Prediction - CM Abdul Taib Mahmud will not give 2 DCM Post to Dayak. Might probably 2nd DCM will fill up by his future successor that is Abg Jo or Awang Tengah. It is more realistic compare to put up 2 Dayak DCM and it will prove to the Sarawak people that is CM ready to relinquish his CM Post. This cant be done before and Chan fall out bring cheers to CM.
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