A TALE FROM SARAWAK

By: AMDE SIDIK

I SENSE there aren’t going to be a lot of changes in the way our political leaders are behaving, unless they undergo an overnight heart cleansing or brain surgery in which by the time the nomination day is announced they are not yet fully recovered.

I mean if they are really wanted to topple BN government. (I’ve written about this subject many times). By the way let me share my raw analysis why BN won handsomely in the recent Sarawak State General Election.

With fierce new political campaign’s culture of Malaysian politics now, brought over crossed South China Sea; character assassination, abusive words and racist remarks. Outrageously immoral and un Islamic twenty years ago, now pasted with stickers, Halal sign on it, who are we to say?

It started by Mahathir during his era and the trend is getting worse by day. Handsomely I mean, PBB fielded 35 candidates all won, SUPP won 6, and PRS won 8 and SPDP won 6. BN therefore won 55 out of 71 state seats. Not bad.

The result was nonetheless impressive for a man hated most by State’s urbanites which result can be translated that nearly all in urban areas cleaned swift by DAPP. The biggest puzzle, despite hatred at Sarawak’s Chief, this urban paranoia didn’t spread out to rural.

While no doubt the Chinese voters were focused, believing what they believed in but the belief didn’t extent to rural areas because roads to kampong are filthy and unhygienic?

Sarawak BN position was intact, fully supported by the bumi’s category including the Dayak group It can be translated this way, Chinese were very much looking at bigger picture of Malaysia. They wanted a change in Malaysia politic, they were thinking about the whole system.

Likewise the Bumi let the Chinese believe of their view. Fear of DAP is exaggerated because DAP has a ceiling. There is no way DAP can form a government; let them win because they can work like dog.

The Bumi believe a complete democratising Malaysia isn’t good for them. They fear if the Chinese have free hand everywhere they could be sold out. That fear isn’t come so much from Sarawak Chinese, but DAP Chinese from Malaya having learnt DAP’s history. (Watch DAP proposal for merger with SNAP)

With electrifying onslaught from opposition, another Malayan’s opposition political party namely PKR, where many onlookers had the impression PKR could topple BN. Inspired by the fogy image, PKR leaders became bigheaded, refused to budge even an inch. Knowingly, very unnecessary to field up more than 20 seats, let alone talking about all state seats, they offered SNAP only 3 seats? It must be with the idea to kill SNAP; the result backfired, like curiosity kills the cat. Wonder if they dare to try again in Sabah?

I was in the coastal areas of Sarawak-Limbang to Bintulu throughout the campaign period. Lot wanted to vote for SNAP but SNAP was not seen to make any headway, had no infrastructure readied, some candidates fielded were dead wood-kayu mati they called.

Sarawak Bumi discreetly talked about Sabah being colonised by UMNO. Sabah people can’t do much, everything else is referred to KL, may be one day even to look for a wife need approval from Putrajaya.

They were incidents that Sabahans asked to go to Putrajaya to collect their uncollected MyKads, isn’t that not frightening George said.

Sarawak local wouldn’t want this to happen in Sarawak. Those tried bringing UMNO to Sarawak were insane, Latiff said, an opposition supporter from Bekenu but would vote BN on the issue of local Sarawak interest.

Vote PKR Sarawak, this is exactly a copycat of Sabah has UMNO and Sarawak has PKR?

Their choice was no choice but come back to square one. No matter how bad Taib Mahmud is but people of Sarawak choose Taib Mahmud not by PM of Malaysia.

Sarawak BN didn’t do the campaign as fierce as opposition did, what they had in many kampongs were karaoke singing and kenduris of course, fuluslah!.

Which means, Sarawak is for Sarawakians.

“You’re not politician but more of a writer, are you?” asked by an elderly person in Miri. My reply was yes and no.

(Note: Amdee Sidik is a Citizen Journalist and Deputy President of SAPP)