SARAWAK NAVIGATES UNCHARTERED WATERS
More clarity on state-federal relations expected only after a full federal cabinet is in place
EVER since Pakatan Harapan (PH) surprised almost everyone and created history with its upset win in the just-concluded 14th general elections (GE14), Sarawak has been left on something like tenterhooks.
The largest state in the federation found itself out on a limb, as it were, unused as it is to finding itself on the opposite side politically to the new Federal Government.
Although itself suffering a rather rude shock, the Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) still retains a significant bloc of 19 representatives to the newly-elected Dewan Rakyat.
Sarawak PH made impressive inroads, increasing its tally to 12 representatives, including two independents who decided immediately to join it. The BN’s usual stranglehold on rural and semiurban constituencies was also notably breached this time. It should serve as something of a wake-up call.
Unsurprisingly, though, the immediate reflex of BN leaders in Sarawak whose grip on the state government is unaffected by GE14 had been to hedge when confronted with questions about their parties’ continued loyalty to BN and the nature of their ties vis-à-vis the new federal administration.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Abang Openg has so far only promised that the state government’s partnership in BN will be reviewed in consultation with the partners in the four-party Sarawak BN so that “the best solution in the best interest of Sarawak” will be arrived at.
But it also appears the Sarawak BN will not likely have a final say on the matter. The invigorated Sarawak PH which will be part of the new national government while remaining in opposition at state level has already made public its opposition to the state ruling coalition becoming an integral part of the national ruling coalition.
Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen has likened accepting Sarawak BN — in particular Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) — to accepting Umno into PH. “Any decision (on accepting Sarawak BN) made must be by consensus within the coalition at both national and state levels,” said Sarawak Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) chairman Baru Bian.
Chong was named by DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng during the election campaign as a candidate for a federal ministerial appointment. Unfortunately, following the swearing-in of ministers earlier announced by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, no PH elected representative from Sarawak (or Sabah) has yet been named to the new cabinet.
Even if Chong and Baru were named to the cabinet at a later date, there may be serious questions about how much of an influence Sarawak PH will have on national policy-making, given that the state was represented by six ministers in the last BN cabinet. Moreover, there will be some concerns that the two largest Bumiputera groups in Sarawak — the Ibans and Malays/Melanaus — will be completely unrepresented in the final PH cabinet.
Such a lack of representation by these two major groups from Sarawak in the federal cabinet will be unprecedented. It will be a grave omission, given that both groups have had representation at the highest levels of the federal administration and holding important cabinet portfolios all this while.
The PH Federal Government’s effort to reflect the nation in all its multi-racial and geographic diversity will suffer from glaring and gaping holes if no credible Iban and Malay/Melanau political leaders from Sarawak made it into the federal cabinet.
Aside from adequate Sarawak political representation at the highest level in the Federal Government, an even more pressing issue may be the status of ongoing debate and discussion over devolution of power from Putrajaya to the state government.
Chong, perhaps reflecting unease over the prospect of a PH national government handing more powers to a BN Sarawak government, has gone to the extent of saying any such possibility is now off the table since the state government had refused to sign off on a proposed deal he presented just before GE14.
Sarawak PKR vice chairman See Chee How has, however, confusingly stressed that PH will strictly follow everything in its election manifesto as contained in its Buku Harapan, including promises made to Sarawak and Sabah over autonomy and devolution of power.
Whatever, there will perhaps be more clarity regarding state-federal ties only after a full federal cabinet is in place. Only then can a modus operandi be worked out that will hopefully smooth out relations between both governments as well as to navigate what is clearly uncharted waters in the official interactions between the state and Putrajaya.
In the meantime, it will be best that politicians not add only confusion.
Aside from adequate Sarawak political representation at the highest level in the Federal Government, an even more pressing issue may be the status of ongoing debate and discussion over devolution of power from Putrajaya to the state government.
The writer views developments in the nation, the region and the wider world from his vantage point in Kuching, Sarawak