KUCHING: The writing is on the wall that the predominantly Bidayuh parliamentary seats of Serian, Puncak Borneo and Mas Gading are within the grasp of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).
If one were to go to all three constituencies, shouts of GPS’ sacred battle cry of “Sarawak – First; GPS – Serang-Serang-Serang” and; ‘GPS Menang, Menang, Menang” reverberates almost every hour until after midnight.
The shouts of the battle cry are getting even louder as the campaign period almost come an end.
A random survey carried out in all three constituencies showed that the voters are also very receptive to GPS which is fielding incumbent Datuk Seri Richard Riot to defend Serian, incumbent Datuk Willie Mongin in Puncak Borneo and new face Lidang Disen in Mas Gading.
Riot, who is from Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), will defend the seat for his seventh term while Willie is in for his second term.
Various analyses also suggested that Riot and Willie would even improve their majorities this time around, given the increase in the number of voters due to the Undi18 and automatic voter registration.
In this election, Serian, which is entangled in a four-cornered fight, has a total of 65,273 voters, an increase of 27,644 or 73.5% compared to 37,629 in the 14th general election.
Puncak Borneo which sees a three-cornered fight has 79,969 voters compared to 46,180 during the GE14, while Mas Gading, which will host a three-cornered fight, has 47,171 voters compared to 29,617 in the GE14.
Political observers have attributed several key factors to GPS having the upper hand. One is that all eight state seats that make up Serian, Puncak Borneo and Mas Gading are currently represented by GPS assemblymen. Serian is made up of Bukit Semuja, Kedup and Tebedu while Tarat, Mambong and Serumbu are in Puncak Borneo, and Tasik Biru and Opar make up Mas Gading.
Given the convincing majorities secured by the eight GPS assemblymen in their respective seats during the last state election held sometime at the end of last year, it is clear that the majority of voters are with the coalition. The outcome may tilt somehow if the GPS failed to tap the Undi18 and the new voters under the automatic registration exercise.
Secondly, GPS has come up with a well-coordinated and systematic campaign strategy to ensure that it will not only win big, but will also have a louder representation in Parliament.
Thirdly, similarly to the majority of voters in other constituencies in Sarawak, Bidayuh voters have learned from the bitter experience during the 22 months of PH rule.
Other factors include the proven track record of Premier Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg in administering Sarawak and transforming it into a stable, progressive and prosperous territory by 2030.
With all three Bidayuh representatives voted in, they would not only contribute to the strength of GPS in Parliament; they would also be well represented in GPS itself.
Political pundits have expressed confidence that Riot, 71, and one of the oldest among 92 candidates vying for 31 seats in the state, would retain his undefeated record for the seventh consecutive term.
“He (Riot) is still very popular and well-liked by the people. He still has his core supporters who have stayed loyal to him since the first time he became MP until today.”
In the 2018 general election, he retained the seat with a 9,905-vote majority in a three-cornered fight. His closest rival, DAP Edward Andrew Luwak, managed to secure only 7,640 votes while independent Senior William Rade polled only 2234 votes. Riot garnered 17,545 votes. Serian has a total of 37,629 votes.
Willie, despite drawing some negative feedback in the beginning, he has grown in popularity among his new-found supporters and loyalists in PBB and other GPS component parties.
The caretaker federal Deputy Minister of Commodities and Plantation Industries won the Puncak Borneo seat under the PKR ticket in the 2018 general election. He later joined Bersatu before applying to join PBB a few months before the dissolution of Parliament.
The majority of Puncak Borneo voters seem to have accepted his reasons for switching parties and are expected to give him a convincing win this time around. Another factor is that though was MP for only four years including two years during the COVID-19 pandemic, Willie has proven to be a people’s leader.
Meanwhile, in Mas Gading, Lidang is also expected to score a handsome majority with GPS strongman and Tasik Biru assemblyman Datuk Henry Harry Jinep’s strong backing.
Mordi’s failure in discharging his responsibility as an MP was another key factor that the people would give the mandate to GPS this time around.
“The people have spoken and gave him (Mordi) a chance after the 2018 general election. Unfortunately, he did not use the mandate well and even did not honour his election pledges.
“How do you expect the people to put their trust in him again? It’s a case of once bitten twice shy,” a voter lamented.
Henry, who is Tasik Biru assemblyman cum Transport Deputy Minister, together with Opar assemblyman Billy Sujang, are aggressively campaigning for Lidang.
