Dayak seats shaping up to be ‘potentially exciting’ in Sarawak polls
Analysts point to discontent among the Bornean state’s majority ethnic group as Malay-Melanau leaders continue to dominate politically.
The 13th Sarawak state election is set to focus heavily on Dayak seats, with analysts predicting "potentially exciting" contests, particularly among the Iban community. According to Jayum Jawan from the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, Iban seats in 35 of the 82 state seats could see significant changes. The current deputy premier and PBB deputy president, Douglas Uggah Embas, may step down, potentially handing the role to someone from the Kapit region, a shift away from the Betong enclave that has nominated candidates since the early 1970s.
This could lead to major changes in the existing political landscape dominated by the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB). Dayak discontent with the government is also on the rise, with key positions in the state government and the coalition being dominated by the PBB's Bumiputera wing. Younger Dayaks feel marginalized and wish to take their rightful place in the political system.
Pakatan Harapan, particularly PKR and DAP, could benefit from this discontent, but would face a challenging task in wresting seats from the governing Parti Sarawak Bersatu.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Kerusi Dayak dijangka jadi tumpuan dalam PRN Sarawak freemalaysiatoday.com
