PETALING JAYA: Sarawak DAP and PKR face a dilemma ahead of the state election, as their ties with Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) at the federal level could complicate efforts to challenge the ruling coalition and expand their own electoral foothold.
Political analyst Datuk Dr Jayum Anak Jawan said both parties had to balance their roles in the federal government alongside GPS with the need to defend and strengthen their positions in Sarawak.
The Academy of Sciences Malaysia fellow said DAP remained an opposition party in Sarawak and was “not in any partnership with GPS or any of its component parties” despite its place in the federal administration.
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“It is not to the advantage of Sarawak DAP to be on friendly terms with GPS. It is indeed in a precarious position,” he told theSun.
Jayum said the dilemma could deepen if DAP’s national leadership asked its Sarawak chapter to accommodate GPS, potentially limiting the number of seats it could contest.
“PKR is also in a tight spot when it comes to whether it should contest in Sarawak,” he said.
National PKR leaders directed the party’s Sarawak chapter in July to fully activate its machinery ahead of the state election.
Jayum said PKR appeared keen to maintain good relations with GPS in the hope that the coalition would help it secure seats after the 16th general election (GE16).
However, he cautioned PKR against assuming GPS would remain loyal after GE16, saying the coalition’s choice of federal partners would depend on the election result and which parties could command enough seats to form a government.
The four GPS component parties – Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Sarawak United Peoples’ Party, Parti Rakyat Sarawak and Progressive Democratic Party – left Barisan Nasional on June 12, 2018, following its defeat in the 14th general election.
GPS subsequently supported the formation of the Unity Government after GE15 in 2022.
Jayum said staying out of elections in Sarawak, whether at state or federal level, could disappoint PKR members by denying them opportunities to expand the party’s presence.
“With its present weak position in Sarawak, PKR is dependent on the whim and fancy of GPS and PBB,” he said.
He added that challenging GPS and PBB could allow PKR to test its electoral strength and determine whether a more assertive approach would put it in a stronger position to deal with them.
Both DAP and PKR performed poorly in the 2021 Sarawak state election. PKR lost all 28 seats it contested, with 22 of its candidates losing their deposits.
DAP retained only Padungan and Pending, down from the seven seats it won in 2016, when PKR won three.