‘Some new political parties will wither’

Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah

Datuk Mong Dagang

Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi

SIBU: Some of the five new political parties in the state will die a ‘natural death’ a few years from now.

PBB Supreme Council member Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said he believed this would happen because Sarawakians are intelligent and know which party is good for them.

The five new parties are Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (Teras), Parti Bumi Kenyalang, Peace Party, Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDS Baru) and Parti Ekonomi Rakyat Sarawak Bersatu (PERSB).

“Personally, I don’t see the need for so many parties to vie for so few seats in Sarawak. But being a democratic country, we cannot stop anyone from setting up political parties. This is a fundamental right enshrine::alaysian constitution,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday.

Abdul Karim said not all parties will get the people’s support.

“We may say it will split the people further or it will split the Bumiputras or Dayaks further, but we forgot one thing … the people have the final say.

“Don’t underestimate the intelligence and maturity of Sarawakian voters,” said Abdul Karim, who is also Assistant Minister of Youth Development and Asajaya assemblyman.

He added that getting the party registered was easy, but sustaining and keeping it afloat would be difficult.

Meanwhile, state BN secretary-general Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi said whether the emergence of these new parties was healthy or otherwise depended on a number of factors.

The key factors are the ideology, agenda and practices of the party concerned.

Bukit Begunan assemblyman Datuk Mong Dagang said the Barisan Nasional (BN) would continue to be relevant to the people as it had a proven track record in bringing development to the people.

But he opined that the new parties should not be taken lightly because fence sitters, mostly youths, might be tempted to give these parties a try. Mong, who is also Assistant Minister of Agriculture (Research and Marketing), however, admitted he was puzzled by the emergence of so many new parties now, and not before the May 5 general election.

He noted that these new comers were Bumiputera-based, and believed it would affect rural-based BN parties in some ways.

“In politics, I won’t take things for granted.” - theborneopost