A possible electoral collaboration between DAP and Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) could help DAP attract Dayak voters and expand beyond its predominantly Chinese voter base, says a political analyst.
Jayum Jawan, a fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, said the two parties were unlikely to contest the same seats as they traditionally focused on different areas.
‘DAP will focus more on Chinese and perhaps Bidayuh seats,’ he told FMT.
Jayum was commenting after Sarawak DAP chief Chong Chieng Jen said earlier this month that the party would meet PBDS president John Brian Anthony to discuss possible cooperation in the state election.
Chong said the two parties shared common ground and had a common opponent, providing a basis for discussions on strengthening the opposition in Sarawak.
Opposition parties seek straight fights
James Chin of the University of Tasmania said Sarawak DAP’s move to explore cooperation with PBDS showed that opposition parties in the state were scrambling to ensure straight fights against Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).
He said DAP had a good chance of reaching an agreement with PBDS, as Brian was formerly a member of DAP’s central committee and the two party leaders knew each other well.
No backlash over peninsula-based party
Chin said PBDS was unlikely to face a backlash for collaborating with a peninsula-based party such as DAP, as it had traditionally focused on rural Dayak seats.
Jayum also dismissed the possibility of a backlash, saying political narratives such as ‘Sarawak for Sarawakians’ and ‘Sarawak First’ were divisive and did not accurately reflect the cooperation between GPS and peninsula-based parties such as Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan.
However, Dick Lembang Dugun of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak questioned why DAP would want to work with a small party such as PBDS, which has no seats in the state assembly.
‘Do they have the grassroots support? Do they have strong party machinery? Do they have the financial capability to fund their elections? These three factors are crucial. They play an important role in ensuring that opposition parties can compete with GPS,’ he told FMT.
