Working with PBDS will help DAP gain Dayak voters, says analyst

A possible collaboration between DAP and Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak for the Sarawak election would help DAP attract Dayak voters and expand beyond its primarily Chinese voter base, says a political analyst.

Jayum Jawan, a fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, said DAP and PBDS were unlikely to contest the same seats, as the two parties normally focused on different areas.

“DAP will focus more on Chinese and perhaps Bidayuh seats,” he told FMT.

Jayum’s comments come after Sarawak DAP chief Chong Chieng Jen said earlier this month that the party would meet PBDS president John Brian Anthony to discuss possible cooperation at the state polls.

Chong said the two parties shared common ground and had a common opponent, providing a basis for discussions on strengthening the opposition in Sarawak.

James Chin of the University of Tasmania said Sarawak DAP’s move to explore possible collaboration with PBDS showed how the state’s opposition parties were scrambling to ensure straight fights against Gabungan Parti Sarawak.

He said DAP had a good chance of reaching an agreement with PBDS, as Brian was formerly a DAP central committee member and both party leaders knew each other well.

‘Sarawak for Sarawakians’

Chin said PBDS would not face backlash for any collaboration with a peninsular party like DAP as it had traditionally focused on rural Dayak seats.

Jayum also dismissed the possibility of a backlash, saying political narratives such as “Sarawak for Sarawakians” or “Sarawak First”, were divisive and did not accurately reflect the cooperation between GPS and peninsula-based parties such as Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan

However, analyst Dick Lembang Dugun of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak questioned why DAP would want to work with a small party such as PBDS, which had no seats in the state assembly.

“Do they have the grassroots support? Do they have strong party machinery? Do they have the financial capability to fund their elections? These three factors are crucial. They play an important role in ensuring that opposition parties can compete with GPS,” he told FMT.