GE14 | Cobbold John Lusoi is set to contest in Sarawak’s Sri Aman parliamentary seat for the third time in the 14th general election.

But will it be a lucky outing for Cobbold this time around?

It is to be seen come polling day for the Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDSB) president.

Cobbold had contested in Sri Aman during the parliamentary elections of 2003 and 2008.

The seasoned electioneer had also pitted his favourite manifesto – “Fighting for the cause of Dayak rights” - in the state polls of Bukit Semuja in 2016 and in Balai Ringan in the 2006 and 2011 state elections.

For the record, Cobbold hit the campaign trail for the first time in 2001.   

However, he made no innings at any of these outings. Yet un-fatigued, he is staying the course at the age of 55, while most people would be thinking of retiring and shunning the limelight.    

When contacted, he told Malaysiakini he has a fair chance of winning, but is willing to pitch his tent in Sri Aman for the third time.     

“The biggest challenge for me in the campaign trail will be convincing the Dayaks of their rights, and why they should stay upfront on this issue.

“Sri Aman is the gateway to Dayak land but the people are largely ignorant and naïve of their rights,” he said.

‘Morever, over 60 years of BN indoctrination has somehow diluted the ways the Dayaks think and respond to reality on the ground, reality that concerns them,” said Cobbold.  

Sri Aman is ideally perceived as a trading port city. It was formerly called Simanggang, which means a placid town of peace - hence its present Malay name, Bandar Sri Aman.

Located on the Lupar River, it is 193 kilometres or a three-hour drive from the state capital of Kuching.  The hinterland in Sri Aman largely consists of timber, oil palm, rubber and pepper enclaves.

It is also the gateway for tourists to the famous Batang Ai National Park and cultural tour centres offering Iban longhouse experiences along the rivers.  

The benak or tidal bore festival is also popularly celebrated in this constituency.  

‘Working hard’ for Dayak support

Earlier it was reported that Cobbold would be up against the vocal Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) president Tiong King Sing in Bintulu.

Cobbold had been eager to take on Tiong, due to the latter openly expressing support for a bill to amend the Syariah Courts Act (Criminal Jurisdiction Act 1965) (Act 355) in Parliament.

The red lights blinked in Cobbold’s true-blue Dayak veins as he feared that Tiong was supportive of hudud and wanted to allow the Islamic law to take root in Sarawak.  

“In any election, nothing is impossible and the Dayaks have to fight and being a Dayak myself, I have to fight,” he told the media then.

However, in GE14 Cobbold will be up against Sri Aman’s incumbent Masir Kujat, an Iban from Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS). 

Both SPDP and PRS are aligned with the current ruling BN coalition. 

Cobbold who hails from Ubah, Pantu, in Sri Aman told Malaysiakini it would be an uphill task for him in his campaign as he has to “work hard” to bring the Dayaks to their senses.