KUCHING: The Jepak state constituency has been a Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) stronghold for decades due to the aspiration of the people on physical development and infrastructure.
Political analyst Dr Novel Lyndon of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) said the social structure of people in Jepak is agrarian oriented; where the economy is based on producing and maintaining crops and farming.
The people in Jepak, he said, want more and better job opportunities, government funds as well as various development projects and plans.
“They want continuous development progress and funds compared with modern urban society that always talks about transparency, integrity and human rights.
“And the best party that can offer all these (development and fund) is PBB or the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS). Thus, it is unlikely that Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) can win in the by-election on Nov 4,” he explained.
Speaking to the New Sarawak Tribune, Novel said, the PBK needs to accept the fact that the chances for them to win in the Jepak by-election on Nov 4 is very slim.
PBK, he said, must be realistic not just based on assumption as the party does not even have a strong machinery, hardcore party members as well as grassroot support.
Furthermore, they are likely to lose their deposit as they have nothing to offer as compared with GPS.
“Voters in Jepak want development projects and plans and not just merely sentiment or propaganda,” he said.
“PBK needs to strengthen their party first and what they can offer to rural development before thinking about winning a seat from PBB, especially a PBB stronghold,” he added.
The Jepak by-election is seeing a three-cornered contest between GPS’ Iskandar Turkee, Stevenson Joseph Sumbang from Parti Bumi Kenyalang and Chieng Lea Phing from Sarawak People’s Aspiration Party.
The by-election was called following the death of its GPS assemblyman Datuk Talib Zulpilip on Sept 15. Jepak has 22,804 registered voters.
