Chin said the timing of the next state election remains uncertain, largely due to delays in the proposed increase of state seats from 82 to 99.
KUCHING (June 8): Holding the Sarawak state election simultaneously with the general election (GE) would be a “very bad idea”, said political analyst Prof James Chin.
Chin said such an arrangement would not be suitable due to the fundamental differences between state and federal political dynamics.
“It is a very, very bad idea to hold the state election together with the general election because state-level politics is very different from federal-level politics, so it is always a good idea to hold them separately.
“Sarawak has been a pioneer in terms of separating state elections, and Sarawak should hold on to this tradition of having separate elections,” he told The Borneo Post when contacted.
Chin was commenting on speculation surrounding the timing of the next state election and the possibility of it being held close to, or simultaneously with, the next general election.
He said the timing of the next state election remains uncertain, largely due to delays in the proposed increase of state seats from 82 to 99.
“The Sarawak state election looks very likely to be held before the end of this year, but I think the only thing holding them now is that there is a current sitting of Parliament. They are waiting to see whether the Law Minister will bring the additional seats to Parliament to be passed.
“It looks like that may not happen because of the Johor election. Everyone is busy with the Johor election, but there is a small chance it may happen, so they are sort of waiting for that.
“If that does not come through, GPS is actually ready to go with the same 82 seats. It is really not a problem for them, but they wanted the new seats primarily this time around to bring in a lot of new young blood,” he said.
He added that a series of state elections is expected from July onwards, beginning with Johor, followed by Negeri Sembilan and possibly Melaka, with the outcomes likely to offer indications of national voting trends ahead of the 16th General Election.
“But whatever it is, there is tremendous pressure on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to call a general election, especially if Pakatan Harapan does very badly in the state elections. Then he will have very little choice but to call it.
“But for us in Sabah and Sarawak, it is a bad idea to join them for the state election. We should separate it as much as possible,” he added.
Meanwhile, fellow political analyst Datuk Dr Prof Jayum Jawan said reliable information suggests that the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly is expected to be dissolved in October to allow for the 13th state election.
Thus, he said Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian’s recent statement that he expects the dissolution to be in September is not too far off from his information.
“All indications are that the ruling coalition has done all it can to position itself to appeal to the people by giving a lot of goodies in the past months, such as assistance and free education for selected courses in some state-owned colleges.
“It will campaign on the basis of what it has planned but has not yet delivered on many high-profile projects, such as a new hydrogen urban transport system, a new larger airport, a new deep-sea port, and various infrastructure projects.
“But any government can do that. However, when the Assembly is dissolved, there is no government, and that is why elections are held—to elect one,” he said.
According to Jayum, the next state election could be expected to be a new milestone as the people of Sarawak will go to the polls amidst a new political landscape enveloping national politics.
He said an interesting area to watch will be Dayak constituencies, which have been divided and whose role has been perceived as marginalised since the 1970s.
