Involved Versus Opportunistic Politics In Sarawak

The concern now is that the opposition lacks a unifying voice.

"There is a need for an effective opposition voice"

Aliran Monthly (AM): Sarawak used to have a vibrant opposition. But today, the opposition is virtually non-existent. Why is this so?

Dominique Ng: In the best of times, Sarawak politics is very fluid. Whatever is going very well for the opposition in West Malaysia doesn’t necessarily translate into equal success in East Malaysia. This has been the trend over the past 20 years. Much about the Federal Government does not affect Sarawakians. And where State politics is concerned, Sarawak-ians are very protective and possessive.

AM: Protective and possessive?

Dominique: Sarawakians prefer local parties compared to West Malaysian parties. Sarawakians are also worried about rocking what appears to be a very stable BN, which they fear, if not strong enough, will not bring development. Unlike West Malaysia, development is a difficult issue here. Development cannot be taken for granted since the BN always uses it as political leverage during elections. Those who do not vote for the BN are denied development projects.

AM: Rural areas succumbing to development politics is understandable. But why doesn’t the urban electorate support the opposition?

Dominique: The BN plays ethnic politics very well. Certainly, a lot of people say that they would like more opposition. But urban Chinese here don’t vote for the opposition because they are both afraid and apathetic. Like other Chinese communities elsewhere, they support governments that give them the opportunity to survive, to make money, to do business, to get the contracts. The Chinese are survivors, not only in Malaysia but everywhere else in the world.

AM: Is the BN doing such a good job here that no political opposition is required?

Dominique: You cannot deny the effectiveness of the BN government here. Much as we think there is corruption here, the BN government does deliver. Internal checks are there. They are always testing public response when they announce policies. And they always get public feedback given their incredible machinery on the ground.

But how can we expect the people within the BN parties to check government? It is only those outside who can check government. For better or for worse, for a democracy to survive, the people must have choices. Right now, the BN is saying to the people that it is the only party worth voting for. I beg to differ.

Now, this does not mean that major BN political figures have not made significant contributions to the country. They have. But at the same time, in many ways, they have also brought the country to what it is today. We are now concerned with other values that a community must have, one of which is free choice. A society that is continually controlled by the government, by the powers that be, how different are we from a communist society?

AM: What are the key problems facing the present political opposition?

Dominique: Lack of cohesion, lack of unity, singleness of purpose, a lack of willingness of politicians to sacrifice for the people as they did in the ’70s and ’80s. I am not saying that all opposition politicians today are opportunists, but some are. Nonetheless, there is a general lack of clarity of purpose.

Also, there is the question of strong personalities within opposition parties that cling on to power in senior positions and who thus do not allow the party to progress with new ideas and new blood. That said, there are some good opposition party leaders in Sarawak, namely Chiew Ching Sing and Wong Ho Leng.

AM: Why is Chiew Ching Sing, the sole opposition DAP representative in the State Assembly, so popular in his constituency?

Dominique: The reason why he won, was due more to his personality. He, more than any other opposition politician in the state, gave up everything literally to work for a cause he believes in. He goes to the kampongs every weekend. His constituency is half-Iban, half-Chinese and he works continuously on their behalf. He is a man of the people, a rare breed of politician.

AM: So, Chiew is successful because he is people-centred, unlike other opportunistic opposition politicians who merely appear during election time?

Dominique: I would not say that all opposition politicians are opportunistic. But the fact is that the “old style” of politics we used to know here in Sarawak, of a dedicated core of people who worked their guts out for a cause with little or no return, has disappeared. Today, many politicians have two jobs and are not into politics full-time. This has contributed towards many opposition politicians losing their close touch with the people.

AM: How does one develop this “old style” politics?

Dominique: Sarawak needs an opposition of this type. But, everything is against us, the whole culture, education, the community. There is presently no political culture to help cultivate, nurture and support people willing to sacrifice everything for the electorate.

AM: PAS works closely with the grassroots. And they are very committed too. Yet, many Sarawakians fear PAS.

Dominique: PAS is active in Malay-Muslim areas. I am sure they are dedicated people. But, PAS does scare many Sarawakians. Fairly or unfairly, the image projected about PAS by the media has had a major impact upon the general psyche of the population which associates PAS with the current trend of radicalisation of Islam around the world. The BN has also played up the issue very well, especially since 9-11.

Furthermore, in recent years, PAS’s actions and decisions in Kelantan/Terengganu have not inspired confidence, indeed it has made things worse. And Keadilan linking up with PAS was a negative factor here during the last election.

AM: Do you think PAS has been up-front and transparent in explaining hudud, the Islamic state, and the rights of non-Muslims in an Islamic State?

Dominique: Actually, PAS is a non-entity in Sarawak. If at all PAS is mentioned, it is generally the media reporting on their activities and decisions in West Malaysia. But that already seems to be enough to scare the people here. Indeed, unless there is a huge change in their approach, it is likely that they will not have any role here.

AM: Any last words for opposition politics in Sarawak, the issues?

Dominique: For opposition politics to have a chance, what is needed now is a very strong initiative from the top opposition leadership of both West Malaysia and Sarawak. They need to sit down and work out a sustained and unified alternative approach to the BN.

There is a need for an effective opposition voice. The concern now is that the opposition lacks a unifying voice. At the moment in Sarawak, after our last electoral debacle, everybody seems to have abandoned the idea of coming together. Right now, everyone seems to be going their own way.