Ghost of PBDS hangs over Batang Ai

Sabah PKR deputy chief Ansari Abdullah's worst nightmare is that 'the old and uneducated voters' of Batang Ai will impose their will again on the younger generation and give Barisan Nasional another victory in the Batang Ai state seat by-election on April 7.

Iban illiteracy, pegged at 70 percent or the highest in Malaysia, has generally worked to the advantage of BN in elections except when they faced the Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) in opposition.

"The young have seen their elders bullied and treated no better than slaves in the past half century and have bitter memories about the so-called status quo," said Ansari, a close confidante of party advisor and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim since the latter's days in government.

"The question is who will prevail on whom? Will the young bring along their elders for a change at last? Or will their old folks convince the young not to abandon traditional political loyalties."

"My observation is that it won't be easy for the Tuai Rumah (longhouse chiefs) this time to bring in the votes for BN. These Tuai Rumah have for so long been a discredited lot especially among the young who see them as government-appointment lackeys."

Secret meetings with Anwar

Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) supreme council member Tedewin Ngumbang Datu, who has often been accused of being a pro-PKR fence sitter despite open professions of loyalty to party chief James Masing, thinks that the role of the older generation of traditionally pro-government voters in Batang Ai cannot be discounted or taken lightly.

"I am not at all involved in the campaign for Batang Ai," disclosed Ngumbang in the first signs of a rift within the party. "The party suddenly doesn’t trust me anymore, it seems. It's okay."

PRS insiders swear that the finger of suspicion was pointed at Ngumbang after reports 'leaked out' that Masing had two secret meetings with Anwar in the wake of the March 8 political tsunami last year.

Relations between Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud and Masing reportedly cooled for a while after his purported meeting with Anwar.

Taib even openly urged that PRS merge with Sarawak People's Democratic Party (SPDP) which Masing saw as a euphemism for ending his political career without washing dirty linen in public.

Masing himself has indignantly denied widely circulating reports that he had been offered RM5 million to join Anwar's Sept 16 revolution to seize the reins of power in Putrajaya.

In recent days, another storm in a teacup broke out when reports started circulating in Kuching that Masing and Gua Musang MP and former finance minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah had two secret meetings recently. Again, nervous eyes were cast by party leaders in Ngumbang’s direction.

It is not known what Masing and Razaleigh discussed, if at all, but the speculation among the party faithful is the post-Abdullah Ahmad Badawi era figured prominently in the talks, according to a text message received from a credible source by ex-Baram MP, lawyer and green activist Harrison Ngau Laing.

Nevertheless, Ansari's party comrade in arms, Jeffrey Kitingan, opines that victory in Batang Ai will go to the party that can ultimately ride on "Dayak sentiments and perceptions."

"This campaign won't be about Sng Chee Hwa vs James Masing," said Jeffrey. "Both Bawin and Jawah are working together and it is PKR vs PRS and nothing else. Sng is not in the picture at all and this can only be of advantage to PKR."

'PBDS' demise - Masing is responsible'

PKR's Jawah Gerang, five times winner in Lubuk Antu, faces PRS Malcolm Mussen Lamoh in a straight fight. Mussen is yet to stand out so far although campaigning has begun in earnest and he stands accused of hiding from the press as well.

"Why is Mussen not talking much? Is it in his nature to be quiet? Government officers in Batang Ai are complaining that he lacks a political character," said PKR northern Sarawak leader Laing, a conservative, who predicts the outcome is still 50 50.

"The question remains. Whose man is he really? Alfred Jabu's or Masing's. Even the late Unting was in reality PBB, never PBDS or PRS. That's why he got along well with Taib and his deputy Jabu. Unting even collected a coveted Sarawak datukship long before any of his party seniors."

Independent polls observer Seling Lah disclosed that in Saratok, it was discovered that those below 30 are solidly behind PKR.

"They are coming out with a booklet of all the broken promises and issues concerning government contracts. PKR election operations director Nicholas Bawin is working very hard."

"Despite what the newspapers have written about Masing being in charge as BN election operations director, the campaign is actually being led by PBB. Masing’s people have no say."

Both Masing and his secretary-general Wilfred Nissom Rata have gamely tried to depict Batang Ai as a proxy fight between the former and his estranged former deputy Sng after initially raising the prospect of a Sarawak for Sarawakians campaign theme.

"PRS will lose Batang Ai," fumes PKR activist in Northern Sarawak Paul Raja who was once with PBDS. "Masing is responsible for the demise of PBDS. If we go to the polls today, and there's no manipulation, PKR will get 70 per cent of the votes cast."