KUCHING: It may be premature to name the new faces from Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) who will contest in the 15th General Election (GE15) but one name that keeps coming up is Datuk Seri Doris Sophia Brodie.
Political scientist Prof Datuk Dr Jayum Jawan of Universiti Putra Malaysia said the PRS women chief was said to have been favoured by former party president, the late Tan Sri James Masing, who had held her in high regard.
PRS, a component party of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), had on numerous occasions, also proposed her as the party’s candidate in Sri Aman, to wrest the seat from incumbent MP Datuk Masir Kujat.
He said Doris has enough experience and exposure having being a Senator for two terms as well as being the Deputy President of the Senate.
“She is also presently political secretary to the Premier. Thus, she has all the necessary qualifications and experience to back her candidacy in Sri Aman. She also has the resources of the party machinery to back her,” he told New Sarawak Tribune.
However, Jayum was quick to make it clear that Doris can win only if the voters in Sri Aman, especially the Dayak community are ready to have a woman MP to represent them.
“Are the Iban voters in Sri Aman ready to vote for a woman candidate?
“This is because the Dayak community did not show enough for a woman candidate in GE14 back in 2018,” he said.
He was referring to Rita Sariman Insol, the PRS first woman Dayak candidate, who contested in Selangau in GE14 but failed to defend the seat for the party.
Baru Bian who stood under a PKR ticket who the seat with a slim majority of 486 votes.
Jayum described Rita’s defeat as “most unfortune” as she should have won the seat easily against an outsider from the highlands far away and one who was already busy with so many things at his hands, being a state assemblyman for Ba’kelalan and also a practising lawyer in Kuching.
In 2018, PRS lost three seats, namely Julau, Lubok Antu and Selangau. It lost another seat after GE14 when Masir who won Sri Aman under a PRS ticket decided to quit the party to join a local party – Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB).
Masir subsequently left PSB to become an independent MP.
Thus, the party was left with two parliamentary seats in Kanowit and Hulu Rajang.
Two days ago, PRS President Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum said the party will be submitting its candidate list to Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, who is also GPS chairman this week.
He said there the list consisted of three new faces, who will be fielded in Sri Aman, Lubok Antu and Selangau, but refused to disclose any details including if it includes a woman candidate.
Incumbent Kanowit MP Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang, incumbent Hulu Rajang MP Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong will defend their respective seat.
The party has also nominated Salang to contest in Julau – a seat he failed to retain in the last GE14 despite being a three-term MP there. It was won by Datuk Larry Sng – as an independent candidate, who joined PKR before forming a new party Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM).
Jayum, who is also an Academy of Sciences, Malaysia Fellow said Kanowit and Hulu Rajang “will not be in danger” unless the incumbents are not nominated.
“As for Julau, it can be quite a difficult, hence, the president must have a strong team on the ground with a new way of campaigning,” he said.
Meanwhile, both PRS and the opposition would stand a fair chance in Selangau, where its incumbent Baru may move to an Orang Ulu – majority seat, closer to the highlands.
He is inclined to think that Baru will lose if he stands in Selangau.
