It is election time again, barely a month after the last Melaka state election.
But this time, the focus shifts to Sarawak, in East Malaysia.
As in any election – also evident in the recent Melaka polls –politicians transform overnight from elitist, condescending, and aloof personages, into humble, altruistic servants of the people, who pledge the sun, the moon and the stars if they are elected.
Their selfless servitude to the people is printed in their manifestos, for all and sundry to see.
For example, the ruling GPS coalition promises jobs, vows to eradicate poverty, preserve the environment, and provide better healthcare and equal rights to all Sarawakians.
One wonders what the ruling government had been doing under the leadership of its chief ministers since the days of Tan Sri Stephen Kalong Ningkan, Tun Abdul Rahman Ya’kub, Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud (current Sarawak governor), Tan Sri Adenan Satem and Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
These rhetorical, heady, and surreal pledges have been bandied about at every election, yet the lives of the people have not changed much.
It has become obvious that the peoples’ representatives (a misnomer) are more concerned about grabbing power than actually serving the people.
So far, the state government had focused on mega projects such as the Bakun Dam, the Pan-Borneo Highway, oil and gas, and timber concessions that have seen huge swathes of land being laid bare, which benefitted a certain segment of Sarawakian society, but with little trickle-down effect for the rest.
These projects have had minimal impact on the lives of the general populace, especially those living in the interiors, who still have no electricity and running water, and poor land, phone and internet connectivity.
The disparity between the ruling class, corporate groups, the politically connected individuals, and the common people, is glaring.
Wealth accumulation and distribution is confined largely to the well-connected. The development in urban areas such as Kuching, Sibu, and other major towns is not representative of the development elsewhere throughout the state.
The so-called development, in fact, camouflages the reality of the plight of common Sarawakians in the hinterland, who are denied access to basic necessities.
To distract from the lack of basic infrastructure and horrendous inequality in living standards, politicians use whatever means to score points and ingratiate themselves with the voters.
Currently, they have manipulated provincial sentiments to cloud the minds of Sarawakians by drumming the catchphrase ‘Sarawak for Sarawakians’ into the collective psyche, and portray themselves as the bulwark against the ‘threat’ posed by Peninsular Malaysians.
The sentiment currently in vogue is to vilify Peninsula Malaysia through the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
This, first creates an adversarial front and instills fear among the local populace.
Now that the MA63 Bill has been unanimously passed by the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday, the GPS-led coalition has won the ‘bragging rights’ – of finally correcting the inequity that Sarawak and Sarawakians have had to endure for almost 60 years.
Peninsular Malaysians (civil servants and politicians) are portrayed as an unscrupulous lot, out to short-change and exploit Sarawakians. Thus, the need to protect Sarawak and Sarawakians.
As such, only local-based political parties are involved in Sarawak politics. This has resulted in an insular mentality.
Such provincial and chauvinistic assertions are merely a ruse to camouflage the political agenda of the elites and the politicians, while the peoples’ fate and well-being have only seen minimal, or no change at all.
Local politicians promote the false narrative that only Sarawak and Sarawakians, had all along, done everything on their own, without the involvement of Peninsular Malaysians.
In reality, the Federal government has played a major role in the development of Sarawak. In addition, thousands of Sarawakians (including Sabahans) work and live in Peninsula Malaysia, without any entry or work restrictions, while Peninsular Malaysians are subjected to Sarawak immigration control and work permits.
Politicians are playing up these chauvinistic issues, the result of parochial thinking on the part of those with vested interests, perpetuated by individuals who stand to benefit from this insular mindset.
They will create fear and animosity among the populace against Peninsular Malaysians, who are being made to look like colonialists out to exploit Sarawakians.
Hence, the need to only vote for local parties, and reject foreign ones.
Like all elections, the focus is not so much on the peoples’ plight and their needs, but more on the power struggle of the politicians. As usual, the people are pawns, and the status quo will remain.
This Sarawak election is no different.
This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Twentytwo13.
