New alliance expected to be formed in Sarawak — Analyst

KUCHING: A political analyst expects that a new alliance of political parties would be formed in Sarawak following the outcome of the 14th general election on Wednesday.

University of Malaya ( UM) Department of Socio-culture senior lecturer Associate Prof Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi said the new coalition would be a free entity that is expected to be friendly to the Pakatan Harapan ( PH) – it would not oppose or support the PH. He did not rule out the possibility that the four state BN component parties, namely Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu ( PBB), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Progressive Democratic Party ( PDP) might pull out of Barisan Nasional (BN) and join the new pact.

He argued that the four BN component parties are expected to resort to such an approach to avoid a defeat in the state election in 2021.

“Otherwise in the 2021 state election, Sarawak BN will lose many seats, even defeated because PH rules in Putrajaya,” he told Bernama here yesterday.

He said the PH would definitely undermine Sarawak BN at the state polls in 2021.

However Sarawak Chief Minister, Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, who is also PBB president and Sarawak BN chairman, had said that PBB is a party with dignity and would not be like a frog jumping over to join PH.

However, he said PBB would convene a meeting on Wednesday and to be attended by all the Supreme Council members to decide on the matter.