COMMENT | Sarawak polls: Silly electioneering among the opposition

COMMENT | In less than three weeks, the 12th Sarawak state election will be over.

Nomination Day is slated for Dec 6 and polling on Dec 18.

While certain groups like Bersih have criticised the Election Commission (EC) for the short 12-day campaign period, I strongly differ this time.

I want to get this election over with as soon as possible. It is already six months overdue. Even a week for campaigning is a week too long, at least for me.

To me, what is there that the contending parties can say that I do not already know? To those who have already decided whom to vote for, there is no need for any campaigning at all.

I worry and care more for the lives of my fellow Sarawakians. That is more important than elections and silly politics.

We will always have elections, but each one of us has only one precious life. We have been warned of another Covid-19 surge and recent developments have proven that to be correct. Pray too that the new Omicron variant does not reach our shores.

I can only hope that Sarawakians will take extra precautions over this election period and not be over-zealous about the campaign. Folks, it’s only an election – not a matter of life and death. Maybe for a handful of politicians, but not for you and me.

Well, for the sake of this article, let’s take a look at the same old silly electioneering going on this past week, particularly within the opposition.

A new kid on the opposition block, Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB), seemed to be in the limelight more than the others. Unfortunately, for the wrong reasons at times.

First, we heard of a former PSB potential candidate who left the party and alleged that he was asked to sign a “loan agreement” with a “money lender” to obtain election funds.

He claimed this was part of the arrangement PSB has with party candidates. He also requested the authorities to investigate such a practice. PSB has denied all allegations made by the former member.

What do I have to say about this? If you do not have some personal resources, do not contest lah! Only a paloi (fool) will borrow from Ah Long to contest in an election.

I’m actually keen to know how many paloi Sarawakians there are who would go out to borrow money just to be an election candidate, and with little or no chance to emerge the winner.

Classless act

There is another PSB incident worth relating. On Nov 26, PSB president Wong Soon Koh told Sarawak DAP leader Chong Chieng Jen not to be too critical of "political frogs" because his father (Chong Siew Chiang) too had switched parties before. 

Wong said he would like to "gently remind" Chieng Jen that the latter's father Siew Chiang left the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) to set up Sarawak DAP in 1978.

Whatever their disagreement might be, I don’t think it is appropriate for Wong to bring Chong Senior into the picture.

The elder Chong is an octogenarian and no longer active in politics. He is also a respected senior lawyer in Sarawak.

Wong should have taken it out on Chieng Jen alone and not on his father for Chong Senior was never a party in their quarrel, to begin with.

Talk of a classless act, this is surely one!

Then, on Nov 28, Wong ticked off Chong again after the Sarawak DAP chief said the state needs a strong opposition in the State Legislative Assembly so that Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) will not have access to a blank cheque. 

The PSB leader said that Chong and the DAP could continue to be in the opposition if they so desire, “but PSB is more interested to become a strong government”.

Wong stressed: “After all, DAP has been in opposition for over 40 years and maybe Chong is satisfied to continue as opposition, as usual. But PSB is not satisfied.”

Well, it’s natural to set lofty goals in politics but it’s also sensible not to be overly ambitious.

You will look awkward and stupid if you tell people that you would reach the moon by Dec 18 when everyone outside your circle knows that would never happen.

So, shall we all come down to earth?

In any event, I do not see why Wong had to corner Chong on this matter. I must have heard the DAP leader repeating his call for a strong opposition so many times that it has become dull, dry and meaningless.

I’m not sure why Wong, as a former senior Sarawak minister, could get so petty at times.

Anyway, I think that an opposition victory in the Sarawak election is made even more difficult when there are half a dozen opposition parties, whose leaders think so highly of themselves, making demands when they have zero seat, to begin with.

I have been hearing the same squabbles over seats before every election and this one is no different.

The latest is that DAP and PKR are going solo, after they failed to reach a compromise on certain overlapping seats.

Again, I am the least surprised with this endless tussle over seats. At times, I wonder whether Pakatan Harapan still exists in Sarawak.

The Harapan thunder of GE14 in 2018 has died a long time ago, and over the past three years, several local opposition parties have been formed.

Perhaps, they will perform better than Harapan parties this time in Sarawak.

FRANCIS PAUL SIAH is the author of “Hijack in Malaysia: The Fall of Pakatan Harapan”. Obtain autographed copies from sirsiah@gmail.com.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.

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