Passing of MA63 bill won’t sway Sarawak voters, say analysts

GPS was instrumental in the defeat of a similar bill that Pakatan Harapan (PH) tabled when it was in power. He warned the coalition of a backlash if it failed to ensure the tangible implementation of provisions in the bill just passed.

(FMT) – Analysts do not expect yesterday’s passing of the bill to return Sabah and Sarawak to equal status with Peninsular Malaysia to yield much in the way of votes for Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak’s Dick Lembang Dugun and Universiti Malaya’s Awang Azman Pawi told FMT they believed most Sarawakians were more interested in seeing how the next state government would handle such bread-and-butter issues as economic recovery, infrastructure development, internet coverage, improvements in the education system and the provision of jobs.

The resolution of these issues were more pressing to voters, they said. Dugun noted that GPS was instrumental in the defeat of a similar bill that Pakatan Harapan (PH) tabled when it was in power.
He warned the coalition of a backlash if it failed to ensure the tangible implementation of provisions in the bill just passed.

Recently, Dugun predicted that the participation of newcomer Parti Sarawak Bersatu in the state polls would cause some surprises in constituencies where Ibans make up a sizeable portion of the electorate.

Awang Azman said there was little need for GPS to trumpet the passage of the bill in its campaign because it was undeniable that it had achieved some successes in its administration of the state since it dissociated itself from Barisan Nasional in 2018.

He noted that GPS had managed to get for the state 5% sales tax on petroleum products from Petronas. In comparison, he said, PH did not fulfil its promise to get 20% oil royalty.

“This, coupled with the cancellation of the construction of basic bridges in Sarawak during PH’s era, has given the opposition a bad image in the state,” he said. “This is sufficient to make GPS bullet-proof against the opposition’s messages in the Sarawak elections.”

He also said the bill passed yesterday was “better and more holistic” that the one PH tabled in 2019.

The Dewan Rakyat unanimously voted for the bill yesterday.

In 2019, the PH government severely criticised MPs from GPS for abstaining from voting on the amendment to Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution, resulting in the government’s failure to obtain a two-third majority.