Tony Thien | May 26, 08 12:09pm

PKR has began what it hopes will be the first step in to eventually taking over the state government from Barisan Nasional with the launch of its new division over the weekend in the predominantly-Iban in Lubok Antu.

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, who officiated at the launch on Saturday morning, described Lubok Antu – about 250km from state capital Kuching – as the gateway for opposition Pakatan Rakyat to enter Sarawak to prepare for the next state elections due in two to three years.

Presently, Pakatan holds seven out of the 71 state seats – DAP six and PKR one, all Chinese-majority seats. Sarawak is the only state in Malaysia that does not hold its state election at the same time as the general elections – it held its last state polls in 2006.
arly Iban inhabitants entered the Sri Aman – formerly known as Simanggang – region from Indonesian Kalimantan through Lubok Antu, near the border with Indonesia.

There are 28 predominantly Dayak (which collectively include Iban, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu) seats in the 71-member state assembly – all are presently in the hands of the various component parties of the state BN, consisting of the dominant PBB, along with PRS, SPDP and SUPP.

DAP and PKR already control more than half of the Chinese-majority seats, and political observers say if the so-called political tsunami finds its way to Sarawak, there is a possibility that the Chinese-based SUPP could see itself losing more seats or even wiped out in the next state elections.

anwar ceramah in rembau 150208 anwarPKR along with its ally in Pakatan are already seeing some clear signs of a change of mood among the Malay community in favour of the opposition. PKR has already identified their own Malay/Melanau candidates, many of whom are either academics or professionals to take on ruling PBB candidates.

Their hopes have already been bolstered by the huge turnout estimated around 5,000 rarely seen before at the Kampung Gita ceramah attended by Anwar, a former deputy prime minister, last Friday.

Anwar touched on a wide range of issues, including the readiness of Pakatan Rakyat to take over the federal government and the reasons why this had to happen in the light of what is happening to Malaysia today, both from the national and international perspectives.

It the campaigns for the last election, ceramahs hardly attracted more than 1,000 people each.

Warmly greeted by well-wishers

Even during a brief stopover at Serian town, about 60km from Kuching, on his way to an Iban longhouse to launch the Lubok Antu division on Saturday, Anwar found himself warmly greeted by well-wishers.

“People seemed to be genuinely happy to see him and shake hands with him in Serian,” a small-time Chinese contractor who was in town at the time. “It is perhaps an indication of how people now warm to PKR after March 8 (general elections),” he added.

The crowd at the longhouse was estimated at about 1,000, although party officials had expected more.

Nicholas Bawin, who heads the division, told Malaysiakini there were attempts by state BN leaders, especially deputy chief minister and PBB deputy president Alfred Jabu, to discourage people from attending.

Still, the crowd was considered big, given that the longhouse itself consists less than 20 doors or bilek, and that Anwar’s speech, again touching on a wide range of issues, including native customary rights (NCR) land was, according to several of those present, very well-received.

“Anwar was very pleased with the reception,” said a state PKR leader See Chee How, who was also present at the longhouse.

The party has directed the party’s state liaison committee to speed up the setting up of divisions in the rest of the parliamentary constituencies still without divisions in the state. From Lubok Antu, they will move to Betong, then to the central region and finally the northern zones.

Two divisions – Mas Gading and Mambong – have already been set up in Bidayuh areas in the southern region and the Serian division will be set up soon. Branches are also going to be set up in small villages.

A state-wide membership drive has started. Officials say between new 500 and 1,000 members are joining every week.

BN state leaders fight back

Meanwhile, Anwar’s visit had not gone unnoticed among top BN leaders in the state.

On Sunday, Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, who is leader of PBB, travelled to the Bidayuh areas in Bau, telling the community not to become ‘sabong manok’ (fighting cocks) but to support their native leaders.

Jabu himself also travelled to a Salcra oil palm scheme in Lundu, and in a speech accused the opposition of trying to deny the natives from benefitting in the development of NCR land.

State PKR chief Dominique Ng Kim Ho (left), the assemblyperson for Padungan, and other Dayak PKR leaders had challenged Jabu to prove his claim, arguing that it is the state government that is taking away NCR lands from the natives and giving them away to BN cronies.

A Bidayuh PKR leader Granda Aing told Malaysiakini that only by supporting Pakatan would the Dayak community really benefit from development.

“We have many Bidayuh professionals and academics who are ready to come forward and assist the party,” he added.

Last week, three Orang Ulu lawyers, well-known in defending NCR land cases throughout Sarawak, announced they had joined PKR.

The only way that stand in the way of PKR’s ambition to win Sarawak is DAP – many of PKR’s top leaders have defected from the Chinese-dominated party, resulting in a lot of bad blood between the two partners in the opposition coalition.

In the last general elections, the two parties were unable to sign an agreement for one-on-one contests against BN, resulting in a mediocre result in the state where elsewhere the two parties had done well.