Calls to ‘vote for your own kind’ will deepen divide, says Karim

Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, the information chief of the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu, has warned that urging Sarawakians to vote along communal lines could deepen social divisions. He emphasized that the people of Sarawak prioritize unity, well-being, and development over religious and racial affiliations. Karim cited the political climate in Peninsular Malaysia, where parties representing the Malay and Chinese communities have contributed to a growingly fragmented society.

He pointed out that in the lead-up to the Negeri Sembilan state election, Malays were advised to support Malay candidates and Malay-based parties, which he claimed would "exacerbate existing fault lines across communities." Karim deemed such political tactics counterproductive to national unity. He praised Sarawak's governance model, which focuses on bringing together its diverse population for socio-economic advancement.

He attributed Pakatan Harapan's loss in the Negeri Sembilan election to the excessive use of racial rhetoric, which caused unease among both Malays and non-Malays. Furthermore, the Ilham Centre had forecast that the BN and Perikatan Nasional alliance would garner more Malay support than they did in the Johor election earlier that month, largely due to the exploitation of identity politics during the campaign.