Excitement over Chinese swing vote
Published on: Monday, December 20, 2021
By: Bernama
Laundry shop owner Marco Chin back at work after casting his vote at the recent State election in Green Hill, Kuching.
KUCHING: There is much excitement over the swing of Chinese votes back to the Government as Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) clinched an overwhelming 76 of 82 seats in Saturday’s 12th State election.The GPS was simply decisive in capturing 12 of the 16 Chinese-majority seats, its best show in 15 years. The outcome stunned the opposition DAP and Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) which were left clinging to two and four seats respectively.
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GPS comprises Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP).
SUPP led by President Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian emerged with 11 seats, gaining five new seats, all at the expense of DAP, and defended six seats gained in 2016.
Not to be outdone, PDP president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing reeled in the contentious Dudong seat for GPS in his first contest in a predominantly Chinese area.
Dr Lee Kuok Tiung of Universiti Malaysia Sabah weighs in on how real is the Chinese swing at a time when the 15th general election is being bandied.
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“Whether this is just a beginning remains to be seen but for sure the Chinese voters have swung and it signals they are willing to give their mandate and an opportunity to GPS, namely SUPP, to prove that they can deliver to the community,” he said.
“Will the momentum continue? This will depend on the performance of those who have won to convince the voters that they have made the right choice.”
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The community will also take stock if Chief Minister Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg restores a Chinese Deputy Chief Minister in the new State Cabinet after 10 years. The last SUPP president to hold the post was Tan Sri George Chan until his upset defeat in Piasau to a DAP newcomer in 2011.
As the Covid-19 pandemic stretches to two years now, the community’s preoccupation is to make ends meet and ensure business continuity under a stable government and economy.
Lee said while some may view such daily issues as not as ambitious compared to talks of reforms, he believes political parties have to go back to the basics to understand the plight and needs of the people.
Despite being spurned at the polls, the opposition is unlikely to fade away, although they would have to reinvent themselves to attract attention again.
“Take Sarawak PKR for example, they need new and stronger leadership. PSB is a new party and needs more time to establish their brand, including candidates, and the DAP needs to also rebrand with a new leadership besides Chong Chieng Jen and Violet Yong,” said Lee, referring to the State DAP Chairman who won in Padungan and Yong who won a fourth term in Pending with a tenth of the majority she posted in 2016.
Interestingly, Chong is the Member of Parliament for Stampin where all three State Assembly seats – Kota Sentosa, Batu Kitang and Batu Kawah – are now under SUPP control. Batu Kawah is the seat of the SUPP president for a second term.
The highest and lowest turnout in the Chinese areas were registered in Bawang Assan in Sibu and Batu Lintang in Kuching, respectively, which were both retained by PSB. In Bawang Assan, won by party President Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh, the turnout was 70 per cent, while Batu Lintang recorded only a 42 per cent turnout that gave a narrow 93-vote majority to See Chee How for a third term.
After Saturday, SUPP controls Kota Sentosa, Batu Kitang, Batu Kawah, Repok, Meradong, Bukit Assek, Pelawan, Tanjung Batu, Piasau, Pujut, Senadin, PDP takes charge of Dudong, PSB holds Bawang Assan and Batu Lintang, while DAP retained Padungan and Pending.
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