GPS, Pakatan to spend big on development ahead of Sarawak election

KUCHING, Nov 1 — Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) will “invest” the state’s reserves to retain power in the next Sarawak state election after Pakatan Harapan (PH) made inroads in the last general election, a political analyst said today.

James Chin, director of the Asia Institute at the University of Tasmania, Australia, said the state government has already announced that it would spend RM11 billion out of its RM31 billion reserves on infrastructure development and water and electricity supplies in rural areas next year.

“I won’t say that the state government is going to blow the reserves, but to invest. So they are hoping to get a return in the investment through the state election,” he told reporters at the sidelines of an International Conference on Sarawak and Asean here.

He said he also expected the PH federal government to spend more on development projects in Sarawak from now until the state election due in 2021.

Chin suggested that much of the money will be spent in rural areas where the Dayaks are residing to secure their support.

“For me, like I said before, it is a good thing that both GPS and PH are fighting now because the people who will gain are the rural communities, like the Dayaks.

“They (Dayaks) have been marginalised for so long so they might as well get something out of the process,” Chin said.

However, he said the Dayaks will not be the “kingmakers” in the state election, contrary to the view of most people.

“If you see the development of seat representations since 1970, the proportion of Malay majority has gone up dramatically while the Chinese and Dayak seat representations have remained stable.

“Each time the electoral boundaries are redrawn, the Malay majority has gone up constantly,” he observed.

On a recent survey conducted in Sarawak by a research team from Universiti Malaya, he advised Sarawakians not to get overly excited.

“It is just a snapshot at that particular moment about how you feel about something, and also the survey is based on how you ask the questions,” he said, adding that the survey does not mean anything.

The survey showed that most Malays/ Melanaus and Ibans gave their support to the GPS state government, while the Chinese and Bidayuhs favoured PH.

GPS was formed by Sarawak’s ruling parties that left Barisan Nasional after the coalition lost federal power in the 14th general election. Unlike other states, Sarawak holds its state election separately from general elections.