Sarawak’s political landscape is ever-evolving but the state’s 2021 elections will see one of the biggest changes yet.
BN, which once viewed Sarawak as its “fixed deposit”, will not make an appearance in Sarawak for the first time in 47 years as Sarawak BN was dissolved in 2018.
Instead, this election will mark the electoral debut of Sarawak BN’s successor Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and some other parties.
This installment of KiniGuide will show how the main parties performed at the previous state election in 2016, how defections have affected the political landscape, and some of the key narratives going into this election.
The Sarawak state legislative assembly has 82 seats, making it the largest legislative body outside of Parliament. Keep scrolling for more information.
These are the approximate locations of Sarawak's three major cities - Kuching, Sibu and Miri.
During the 2016 state election, Sarawak BN won handsomely, winning 72 seats, primarily due to public support for Adenan Satem, who had just replaced Taib Mahmud as chief minister.
Sarawak BN dissolved following GE14 in 2018. The former BN Sarawak component parties formed the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition.
However, four assemblypersons who won as “BN direct candidates”, meaning they used the BN logo on ballot slips despite not being in a BN component party, have defected to Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB).
Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) was the biggest winner with 40 seats. Their strength at the polls is unmatched. None of their candidates have lost since 1996. PBB is the linchpin of GPS and previously the Sarawak BN coalition. PBB and its previous iterations have been in power and occupying the chief minister’s position since 1966.
PBB has had many coalition partners before. The current ones are the Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP), Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), and Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS). These parties have shown some vulnerability during the 2016 state elections and 2018 parliamentary elections.
All four GPS parties are multiracial. However, PBB has an additional bumiputera requirement. In practice, the bulk of the Muslim-majority constituencies are represented by PBB. Constituencies with mostly Chinese voters are evenly split between the opposition and SUPP.
Pakatan Harapan, through DAP and PKR, won 10 seats in 2016, down from 15 won in 2011. These seats were mostly in urban areas except for Krian and Ba’kelalan which were won by PKR.
Some of those who won as part of the Harapan coalition have switched parties. Two PKR assemblypersons joined PSB. Another PKR assemblyperson joined Bersatu. One DAP assemblyperson became an independent.
Sarawak has many ethnic groups. But for electoral purposes, they are categorised into five major groups: Malay-Melanau Chinese Iban Bidayuh Orang Ulu. The remaining constituencies are mixed seats.
What's at stake?
Will Abang Jo win big?
GPS’ chairperson Abang Johari Abang Openg will face his second electoral test. During the 2018 parliamentary elections, his reputation took a hit when the opposition made significant gains in Sarawak.
Since then, he convinced his allies to withdraw from BN and formed a new coalition which stitched an informal alliance with BN and Perikatan Nasional (PN) at the federal level.
His coalition has been pushing at the federal level for more autonomy and greater recognition of the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
Whether these efforts have resonated with voters will be tested during the polls. If not, Abang Johari may find it difficult to sustain his position as PBB president, the coveted chief minister’s seat.
Another thumping victory similar to 2016, which saw Sarawak BN losing only 10 seats, will likely secure his position for many years to come.
Will Sarawak Harapan hold?
The Sarawak chapters of DAP and PKR have been an unhappy couple for two decades. There isn’t much synergy between the two parties. Sometimes they even field candidates against each other.
In the run-up to nomination day, Sarawak PKR declared Harapan’s seat-sharing deal null and void, but DAP was unwilling to negotiate a new deal.
Sarawak Harapan has also decided they will not use a common logo, unlike GPS.
With large cracks in Sarawak Harapan going into this election, the question remains whether the coalition will last come voting day.
After a disastrous outing in Malacca just a month prior, another bad performance in Sarawak will likely have repercussions in Kuala Lumpur.
Will PSB make their mark?
No Sarawak-based opposition party has won a seat in the legislative assembly since the Sarawak National Party (Snap) in 2006.
PSB might stand a chance. It already has several veteran lawmakers in its ranks all through defections (see table below).
| Constituency | Name | 2016 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ba'kelalan | Baru Bian | PKR | PSB |
| Batu Lintang | See Chee How | PKR | PSB |
| Opar | Ranum Mina | BN-Direct | PSB |
| Engkilili | Johnical Rayong Ngipa | BN-Direct | PSB |
| Dudong | Tiong Thai King | BN-Direct | PSB |
| Bawang Assan | Wong Soon Koh | BN-Direct | PSB |
Moreover, the party has recruited several former BN big names such as Tiki Lafe and Joseph Entulu Belaun as candidates.
Based on their list of candidates so far, PSB is focussing on rural seats. However, a failure to secure a pact with Harapan could hurt their chances.
Number of candidates at a glance
| Party/Coalition | Number of candidates |
|---|---|
| GPS | 82 |
| PBK | 73 |
| PSB | 70 |
| Harapan | 62 |
| Aspirasi | 15 |
| PBDSB | 11 |
| Sedar | 5 |
| PAS | 1 |
| Independents | 30 |
Meet the contenders
Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS)
GPS is the successor to Sarawak BN and was established in 2018. The linchpin of GPS is Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB). Since the Sarawak BN era, PBB has been allocated and won the most seats.
PBB’s present coalition partners are Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP).
It is expected PBB will remain the most dominant party in Sarawak - no PBB candidate has lost an election since 1996. Their three partners, however, are not as strong.
The coalition has adopted a “Sarawak first” slogan for this campaign, along with pledges to focus on the digital economy and environmental sustainability.
Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK)
PBK was formed in 2013, and this election will be its electoral debut. The party is led by former Batu Lintang assemblyperson Voon Lee Shan, who was previously from DAP.
The party is fielding the most candidates out of all the opposition parties.
Its main campaign platform is for Sarawak’s independence based on the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1514 (1960) (Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples).
Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB)
PSB began as a splinter part of SUPP in 2014 due to friction between Wong Soon Koh and the party leadership.
It was rebranded as PSB in 2018 and has recruited current and former lawmakers from PRS, PDP and PKR, among others.
Its campaign platform was to project itself as a local party, unlike GPS, which is allied with Peninsular Malaysia-based coalitions and Pakatan Harapan, which is based in Peninsular Malaysia.
PSB is also campaigning based on a Malaysia Agreement 1963 platform.
Pakatan Harapan
Harapan is a Peninsular Malaysia-based coalition. In Sarawak, it consists of DAP, PKR and Amanah.
It does not have a common election platform for this election and will be using separate logos in its ballot slips.
Parti Aspirasi Rakyat Sarawak (Aspirasi)
Aspirasi is the rebranded State Reform Parti (Star) and led by Lina Soo.
The party launched its election pledge last year, which includes holding a Sarawak independence referendum and universal basic income among others.
Aspirasi is allied with Parti Bangsa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDSB).
Parti Bangsa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDSB)
PBDSB aims to be the spiritual successor to the defunct Parti Bangsa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS).
The party is campaigning on a Malaysia Agreement 1963 platform. It is allied with Aspirasi.
Parti Sedar Rakyat Sarawak (Sedar)
Sedar is one of the newest parties in Sarawak. It was formed in 2019 and led by businessman Othman Abdillah.
Among others, Sedar has pledged to provide RM100 monthly cash handouts to all adult Sarawakians.
