KUCHING: Ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) holds the upper hand in the coming state election over a divided opposition, say political analysts.

       With their main challengers – Pakatan Harapan and Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) – focusing on different issues, voters are unlikely to be convinced by their campaigns.

       University of Tasmania’s professor of Asian studies James Chin said the problem with the opposition was that they were campaigning for different causes.

       “PSB is campaigning for Sarawak’s change whereas DAP and Pakatan are focusing on national change. It means sending out mixed messages, which is not a good idea,” he said.

       Chin added that GPS’s campaign style, which does not depend on large rallies, would give it a key advantage in the polls, which expects to see restrictions on campaigning as part of Covid-19 prevention measures.

       “The traditional way for the opposition is to hold big rallies to build momentum. They won’t be able to do this now, so they will lose out.

       “For GPS, or formerly the Sarawak Barisan Nasional, they don’t do big rallies but more coffee shop and house-to-house campaigns,” he said.

       Chin predicted a low-key campaign for GPS focusing on Sarawak sentiments and playing up the state government’s success in generating more revenue through the state sales tax on petroleum products, and pushing for constitutional amendments in line with the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

       He said for the opposition, the key campaign issue would be Chief Minister Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg’s decision to call for an election during the pandemic and not daring to face young voters.

       “But I suspect the majority of Sarawakians will give Abang Johari the benefit of the doubt.

       “People in Sarawak have more or less made up their minds,” he said, referring to the opposition’s claim that GPS was rushing to hold the polls to avoid Undi18 which will come into force on Jan 1.

       National Professors Council senior fellow Dr Jeniri Amir said GPS was in a strong position going into the election and would likely retain a two-thirds majority in the state legislature.

       He said the lack of cooperation between Pakatan and PSB would be an advantage to GPS as it would split the opposition vote.

       “It will be a crowded election with more opposition parties contesting compared to 2016, but the real fight will be from DAP and PSB against GPS. In the previous election, the number of votes garnered by opposition parties other than DAP and PKR was very small.

       “The only convincing performance was by DAP with about 20% of the vote share while PKR had about 10%,” he said.

       However, he said PKR was now a shadow of its former self after last year’s political crisis, leaving it without a state leader at present.

       “I believe PKR will face a big hurdle and is unlikely to win any seats,” he said, adding that the only challenge for GPS was to make its logo familiar to voters.

       GPS was formed in 2018 when its four component parties – Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu, Sarawak United People’s Party, Parti Rakyat Sarawak and Progressive Democratic Party – pulled out from Barisan to become an independent state-based coalition.