Joseph Tawie

analysis The Dayak community’s support for the Sarawak party and its candidate cannot be taken for granted in the Batang Ai by-election.

The question is - will the PRS nominee be selected? If not, the state BN should prepare for the repercussions, warns a PRS leader.

Political observers believe that the three by-elections are being called simultaneously to allow BN to claim a face-saving win in at least one seat - the most likely being Batang Ai.

With money, they easily forget. The Dayak voters were allegedly paid RM60 each with a promise of another RM300 upon the victory of the BN candidates.

Except for SPDP, the other BN parties appear to be in turmoil. But will the opposition be able to capitalise on this?

Each of the four parties is beset with internal problems and power struggles. The longer these problems are left unsolved, the bigger they will become.

The firebrand of Dayak politics must be stopped from making a comeback at all costs. To ensure this, the ruling front's top leaders will take to the ground.

NCR land has not only become a hot issue, it has also been the subject of police reports and court cases with a number of landowners in jail for defending their rights.