Professor says power sharing not a pact that parties are bound to as proven by precedence
KUCHING: The issue of power-sharing in Sarawak BN is, at the end of the day, a political deal that can be undone at any time since there is no sanction for breaking with ‘tradition’, opined director of the Asian Institute of University of Tasmania, Professor James Chin.
Quoting an example, he said in 1970 there was a ‘deal’ whereby the posts of chief minister and governor were split between the Dayak and Malay/Melanau communities.
“It was broken shortly after that and nothing happened. Similarly when the ‘BN Plus’ government was established in 1983, there was no sanction from the other component parties,” Chin told The Borneo Post via email yesterday.
He pointed out that since the late 1980s, PBB has more than 50 per cent of the seats in the State Legislative Assembly.
“It was open knowledge that some YBs (elected representatives) in the other parties were ‘convert’ PBB YBs who would support PBB if there was a showdown and same situation in every state election.
“What we are talking about now is merely public appearance. There is little doubt that PBB can directly have more than 50 per cent of the YBs at any time but, to keep the components happy, on paper they are just a little bit under 50 per cent,” he elaborated.
Chin said he agreed with the point that if PBB is allowed to move up by having 49 seats officially, with the nine elected partyless representatives ending up in PBB, it would be much easier for a future strongman in PBB to behave like Umno.
“However, this is not the key issue. The key issue is internal PBB politics. PBB must maintain the delicate balance between the Pesaka and Bumiputera wings – this is the best guarantee that power-sharing between Muslims and non-Muslims in Sarawak are kept. If the balance is kept in PBB, then it will be kept for the rest of the Sarawak BN,” he said.
Chin stressed that the best argument for PBB to keep to the 50 per cent mark is the issue of Umno coming into Sarawak.
“For many years now, Umno has been trying to move into Sarawak, after capturing Sabah since the 1990s. Umno wants to enter Sarawak as it sees Sarawak as the last state to ‘hold out’ against its ideology of total Malay hegemony.
“Umno also wants to be in Sarawak to stop the ‘Sarawak for Sarawakians’ (S4S) sentiments. That is the reason why Umno is more about East Malaysian nationalism in Sarawak compared to Sabah. It knows that in Sabah, Umno Sabah will keep the issue under control.
“And if PBB keeps to the 50 per cent mark, it will be much harder for Umno to move in as the other component parties can put up a strong fight. If PBB goes above the 50 per cent mark, all it takes is a weak PBB leader and Umno moves in, then Umno Sarawak will automatically rule, and the component parties will have to fall in line,” pointed out Chin.
In summary, Chin said: “There is nothing the component parties can do if PBB wishes to take in the other nine after ‘consultations’. There is no sanction as this is a political tradition that can be undone at any time, for any reason. In our system, the chief minister calls the shots”.
According to him, the strongest reason for PBB to keep to the 50 per cent mark is self-interest.
“Keeping to the present political Mathematical equilibrium will also mean keeping the current status quo, which is to keep Umno out. If Umno moves in to Sarawak, PBB, by default, will disappear. You only have to look at United Sabah National Organisation (Usno) in Sabah to know that Umno will not allow a second-Muslim party to exist.
“Keeping the present Mathematical equilibrium will also ensure the Bumiputera/Pesaka wings remain intact. If Umno moves in, I can guarantee you that Pesaka will disappear,” warned Chin.
Also commenting on the issue of power sharing among the state’s BN component parties, Associate Professor Dr Ahi Sarok of Unimas’ Faculty of Social Science pointed out that the basic tenet of power sharing means there should be fairness in seat allocation.
“This would guarantee that there would be fairness in ministerial appointments as well as in the civil service,” he said.
Touching on the nine partyless elected representatives, Ahi said the best way to address the issue is to advise them to return to their respective parties.
“For instance, Datuk Dr Jerip, Dr Johnnical Rayong and Ranum Mina should go back to UPP as they are now allowed to operate as part of the BN. Hopefully they would be admitted to the state BN after that,” he said.
Likewise, he said, Tan Sri William Mawan, Rosey Yunus and Paulus Palu Gumbang should also be advised to return to SPDP.
“Otherwise SPDP is now left with just three YBs and an assistant minister. This is not power sharing,” he said.
However, Ahi said the other three – Dato Gerawat Gala, John Ilus and Miro Simuh – could re-join PBB.
“These three YBs can choose which party they want to join,” said Ahi.
Meanwhile, Dr Andrew Aeria, Associate Professor of the Department of Politics and International Relations, Unimas held the view that there was nothing wrong for PBB to admit the nine partyless assemblymen.
His rationale was that the people had voted for these assemblymen and it was agreed before the election that they were free to choose any party.
“And if it is PBB they choose, why can’t they join PBB?” asked Aeria.
On the check and balance within state BN and its unwritten rule that PBB should not a hold simple majority in the state coalition, Aeria believed that the notion was a fiction rather than political reality.
“It is a fiction that people want to believe. Do you think PRS, SUPP and SPDP have the muscle to stand up against PBB?” asked Aeria.
“For me, the fact of the matter was everyone had agreed before the state election that the candidates were free to join any party after the election. Then if they want to join PBB, let them join. At least that is what people want,” said Aeria.
Terming the ‘unwritten rule’ as an “elite arrangement”, he said the decision now was to follow the elite arrangement or listen to the voice of the people.
“And what is wrong with PBB governing the state?” he asked again.