INTERVIEW | Newly minted Works Minister Baru Bian is preparing to take the message of a “New Sarawak” to the Land of the Hornbills following Pakatan Harapan's sterling victory in the May 9 general election.

The Selangau MP spoke to Malaysiakini after his swearing-in ceremony at Istana Negara yesterday, saying that GE14 had proven the worth of Harapan once and for all.

"My message is very, very simple and clear. The victory we had (in Sarawak) with 10 seats and two from independents is exceptional. We were aiming for 10 but we got 12.

"This means that if we are prepared to go down to the grassroots level and bring the message for a ‘New Sarawak’, I think there will be a result," Baru said.

The people of Sarawak, he added, are encouraged to take the message back to their homes, especially to their parents and extended families in the rural areas.

Sarawak BN was dealt a fatal blow in the last GE14. It was able to retain only 19 parliamentary seats while Harapan gained 12 seats, up from the six it won in the previous general election in 2013.

Sarawak PKR only managed to secure one seat in Miri in GE13 but gained an additional five seats in GE14 after making spectacular inroads in the rural areas.

Sarawak DAP, too, managed to snatch Mas Gading, one of the rural seats that had long been held by BN.

"With the kind of energy that we put in, I'm confident that the dream we aspire for the new Sarawak will be realised," Baru said when asked about his message to Sarawakians for the state elections due in 2021.

Following its dismal performance, Sarawak BN announced its dissolution in June, with the component parties of PBB, SUPP, PRS and PDP forming their own state-based coalition called Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).

The former BN coalition led by PBB had led the state government since the formation of Malaysia 55 years ago. When BN was formed to take over from the Alliance pact, PBB joined other Sarawak parties at the state level and with Umno at the federal level.

Sarawak's current governor Abdul Taib Mahmud (photo) is the country's longest-serving chief minister, with 33 years under his belt until his retirement in 2014.

PKR eyes rural seats

With less than three years to the 2021 Sarawak state elections, Baru said, PKR would need to boost its presence in the rural areas.

In the 2016 Sarawak state election, the state BN enjoyed a landslide victory, sweeping 72 out of the 82 seats contested.

“Our mission is very clear. We want to win as many seats as possible in rural Sarawak in the next state election.

“We must be aware that the state government has never changed during the last 55 years since the formation of Malaysia. But if the federal government can change, so can the state government,” Baru said when asked about his party’s mission.

The power of democracy in the hands of Sarawakians will give them the confidence to change, he explained.

“We have been talking about issues affecting Sarawakians and land issues such as NCR (Native Customary Land Rights), which are very important to the natives.

“The state government is still under BN, but now they call themselves as GPS. What is the difference? To us, there is no difference; BN or GPS, they are all the same,” Baru added.

He also said GPS was the one that came up with land policies that affected the natives in Sarawak and if the people wanted to change those policies, they would first have to change the state government.

With the local political scene fast evolving, Baru said he was confident that the rural electorate would vote to bring about change.

The next state election would be a crucial test for Harapan and Baru said the view of the electorate would be very different.

The two-term Ba’kelalan assemblyperson said that this would be the first time that Sarawak goes into a state election as an opposition state government.

Because of this, he pointed out, there would be a shift in the mindsets of Sarawakians, particularly those from the rural areas.

'Lift bans on politicians'

“I come from Sarawak's interior and what I hear there is the sentiment that the federal government can indeed be changed.

“Certainly, they hear that all these guys who were formerly with BN and are now called GPS, are in the opposition.

“That is a very, very powerful sign that would probably shift mindsets and open up perspectives that Sarawakians can change the government in accordance with the laws of the country,” Baru argued.

He also called on the state government to lift the ban on entry into Sarawak imposed on peninsula-based Harapan politicians.

Among those banned from entering Sarawak include Tony Pua, Nga Kor Ming, Nurul Izzah Anwar and Teresa Kok.

“My stand all these years is that no ban should be imposed on any legal activity.

“If our friends from the peninsula come into Sarawak for legitimate political activities, more so when they are members of parliament, it is very unfortunate that they can’t enter the state. We are a part of Malaysia,” Baru added.