THE Sarawak for Sarawakians (S4S) movement has achieved its target of getting 300,000 signatures recently, and its chief, Peter John Jaban, believed the actual number of those who wanted to be part of the movement is far greater than that figure.
He said those who signed up could be divided into three groups: those aged between 21-25, 25-45, and 45 and above, with the majority in the 24-45 bracket.
“Those who signed up are apolitical. They do not belong to any political party. They are mostly fence sitters so to speak,” Peter John told The Borneo Post yesterday.
He believed that in the May 7 polls, these so-called fence sitters could determine the results of certain areas.
“I think they will vote for credible candidates across the political divide, be it BN or opposition…and even independent candidates, for that matter. We are just fighting for more autonomy from Putrajaya, be it in the civil service, immigration, education and the list goes on.
“Basically, our fight for greater autonomy is based on the Malaysia Agreement 1963.”
The Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem has taken up the same essence of the S4S existence by stressing that his administration would fight for greater autonomy from Putrajaya.
He told a press conference in Kuching recently that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had actually reciprocated and assured him that he was open for more discussions on the state’s rights and autonomy.
“The chief minister is the best example of those who agree with our course but did not sign their pledge with us. That means that deep in their hearts they know our struggles and know what we Sarawakians wanted. But because he is in the government, there will be some limitation in what he could do, even if he wins the election, which most people believe he will.”
And that has been partly the reasons some of Adenan’s 53 initiatives were for greater autonomy for the state.
“Most of what we have been fighting for have been taken up by the chief minister as part of his initiatives. We welcomed that, but there are still many more things that need to be highlighted.
“For instance, the issue of the Dayaks now has been settled, but what about some Malaysians who are not within the category of Malay, Indian, Chinese and Dayak. So, we still need the lain-lain for the race column in the official government forms. A good example of those who still need it is my wife, who is a Eurasian.”.
He was also glad that Adenan recently declared July 22 as Sarawak Day.
On current issues, Peter said there were endless issues that needed to be rectified. And one such issue is the fact that most heads of federal departments and agencies in Sarawak were from outside the state.
“It is high time we, Sarawakians, be given the chance to be the heads of these government posts. Don’t tell me after 53 years of independence we are still incapable of taking up those posts.”
Peter also hoped the state government would revive the Sarawak Rangers, which was once renowned in the fight against insurgencies in the early years of the nation’s independence through its famous war cry “Agi idup agi ngelaban”.
But the question now is this—will S4S be a force to be reckoned with in the May 7 polls?
Dr Lee Kok Tiung, a lecturer of communications at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), said the answer is “yes”.
He said based on the current political inclination, those who are seen to be fighting for the greater rights for Sarawakians would definitely be on a better footing to win the coming election.
“My take for the coming state election is that the chief minister will win with at least 70 seats as he has been able to play up the sentiments of the vast majority of the voters in the state for greater autonomy, which is part of the S4S agenda.
“But then again, in his team, there are some who will lose, especially in the Chinese majority areas,” said Lee, when contacted yesterday.
As such, Adenan would be judged based on how many of the 16 Chinese majority seats he won.
“Based on our analysis, he should be able to win at least three to four of these seats. Anything less is perceived to be a failure on his part.
“On the other hand, this election will also gauge the popularity of the DAP as they aim to go rural. Anything less than the 12 seats they won in the last state election plus some rural seats would be seen as a failure for them as well.”
Lee, who hails from Sarikei, pointed out that one of the most interesting seats to watch out for in this election is Batu Kitang, where DAP is contesting against its Pakatan Harapan’s ally PKR.
“It’s going to be very tough for both sides. But at the end of the day, the voters will decide based on who is the most credible candidate. This is where the force of S4S could determine the outcome”
The new seat of Batu Kitang features a five-cornered fight between Abdul Aziz Isa of DAP, Voon Shiak Ni of PKR, Lo Khere Chiang of BN, and two independent candidates: Sulaiman Kadir and Datuk Seri Othman Bojeng.