BAU: Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) is likely to win all the three Bidayuh-majority seats namely, Serian, Puncak Borneo and Mas Gading in the 15th general election (GE15).
Political observers believe GPS should have no problem wresting back Mas Gading which was won by Democratic Action Party’s (DAP) Mordi Bimol in GE14.
They believe Mordi will lose this time for several reasons, especially the alleged failure of the one-term parliamentarian to fulfil his responsibilities to the constituents.
Mas Gading will witness a three-way tussle between Mordi, new face Lidang Disen (GPS-PDP) and Parti Bumi Kenyalang’s (PBK) Sim Min Leong.
Political observers see it as a walk in the park for the coalition to retain Serian through incumbent Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem.
Richard, a deputy president of the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) and a seven-term member of parliament (MP) is involved in a four-cornered contest with the Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) candidate Elsiy Tingang, DAP’s Learry Jabol and Independent Dr Alim Impira.
Meanwhile, GPS is also expected to have no problem recapturing Puncak Borneo through Datuk Willie Mongin who in GE14 won the seat on a Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) ticket.
Willie left PKR to join BERSATU but later became a Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) member and was nominated as the GPS candidate for the constituency.
He is facing PKR’s Diog Dios and Iana Akam (PSB).
According to political observer Datuk Peter Minos, during the GPS campaign in Kampung Duyoh, Bau recently, he witnessed voters voicing their dissatisfaction with Mordi and DAP.
“They claim that DAP did nothing for four years in Mas Gading.
“They say DAP only makes excuses and makes empty promises. Mas Gading voters are now angry and determined to reject DAP,” he added.
Minos said the people in Mas Gading realised that they made a “big mistake four years ago when they voted for DAP which did not care about Sarawak”.
Minos claimed that DAP adopted an anti-Sarawak ideology and philosophy, saying that DAP is good for Malaya but bad for Sarawak and is totally irrelevant in Sarawak.
On the voters in Puncak Borneo, Minos said he noticed a a spirit of reconciliation between individuals and groups that had previously clashed with Willie.
“Those who previously disagreed with Willie’s candidacy have agreed to forget their differences and work together for GPS’ big win in Puncak Borneo,” he said.
Like DAP, he said PKR is also a peninsular-based party that is irrelevant to Sarawak, adding that PKR does not have an authoritative leader in Sarawak.
“The cry I heard at the Kampung Sinjok hall where GPS held its big rally recently was, ‘Don’t waste your time on PKR’.
“The mood now is that GPS must win big for the good of Sarawak and for the good of the Bidayuh community, who make up the majority of voters Puncak Borneo,” Minos said.
This time around the Bidayuh people are fully determined to reject DAP and PKR, he added.
He said the ‘Sarawak First’ slogan appears to have caught on with Bidayuh voters in Puncak Borneo.
