Wung says Sarawak DAP has relied on such narratives for years to garner support, creating the impression that the party is indispensable to opposition politics in the state.
KUCHING (April 24): The Democratic Action Party’s (DAP) long-used slogans of ‘checks and balances’ and ‘defending democracy’ are no longer relevant in Sarawak, as voters now have other opposition choices, said Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Kuching Branch Youth chief Nicholas Wung.
He said Sarawak DAP has relied on such narratives for years to garner support, creating the impression that the party is indispensable to opposition politics in the state.
“Sarawak DAP often promotes slogans such as ‘checks and balances’ and ‘defending democracy’ to attract support.
“However, DAP is not the only opposition party available to voters in Sarawak, and supporting the opposition is not DAP’s exclusive right.
“Even without DAP, Sarawak would not enter a so‑called dark age, as seen in present-day Sabah,” he said in a statement.
Wung described the narrative portraying DAP as vital to ensuring checks and balances as misleading, adding that it obscures the party’s background as a Peninsular Malaysian-based party.
He said this in response to reactions from DAP leaders following remarks made by SUPP president Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian during the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) convention on Apr 19.
According to Wung, Dr Sim had used the expression ‘kasi DAP telur’ (give DAP eggs) when commenting on the party’s prospects in the upcoming 13th Sarawak State Election, which drew strong reactions from DAP leaders and prompted a series of public responses.
On DAP’s electoral prospects, Wung said this remains a matter of opinion and should ultimately be decided by voters.
“Whether DAP will perform badly in the 13th Sarawak State Election is a matter of opinion.
“The final judgment should be left to the voters,” he said.
Wung also pointed to the party’s electoral performance in recent state elections, noting a downward trend.
“In the 2011 state election, DAP won 12 seats.
“This dropped to seven seats in 2016. In the 2021 state election, despite contesting 26 seats, the party won only two seats,” he said.
Wung noted that in the 2021 election, Chong Chieng Jen retained his seat with a majority of 1,198 votes, while Violet Yong won with a 540-vote majority.
He questioned the decline in DAP’s performance, particularly when a local opposition party secured four seats in the same election.
“This shows that issues related to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) have raised awareness among Sarawakians and served as a reminder to opposition parties originating from Peninsular Malaysia,” he said.
He also referred to promises made by Sarawak DAP during the 14th General Election in 2018, including pledges to return 20 per cent of Sarawak’s oil and gas revenue to expand the state’s rights over oil and gas exploration.
However, he said these commitments were not fulfilled during the Pakatan Harapan administration.
“When Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was Prime Minister, Lim Guan Eng was as Finance Minister, and Chong Chieng Jen served as Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, these promises were not realised,” he said.
Wung urged Sarawakians to carefully assess parties linked to Peninsular Malaysia in the next election.
“The people of Sarawak should recognise the true nature of agents of Peninsular Malaysian parties, not be misled again, and avoid repeating past mistakes,” he added.