KUCHING: Sarawak DAP will not be able to retain all its six parliamentary seats in the 15th General Election (GE15), especially after the party’s huge defeat in the state polls in December last year.
However, it is also premature to predict which seats they will lose as it boils down to the focus of their campaign strategy.
Political analyst Professor James Chin from the University of Tasmania’s Asia Institute said based on the current situation, DAP may lose half its parliamentary seats in Sarawak due to vote-splitting.
Since the local and peninsula opposition parties cannot find a common ground to ensure a straight fight against Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), DAP may lose again due to the same factor/ reason for their defeat in the last state election.
“Right now, they may lose half of the six seats they won in the last general election. But, it is hard to predict now as we need to look at their campaign later,” he told New Sarawak Tribune.
See also ‘2,145 women in the country diagnosed with cervical cancer’By Zainon Talip MIRI : The ‘It’s Your Life, Why Take a Chance’ campaign is calling for Malaysian women to take action by protecting themselves against cervical cancer. The campaign which is organised by the National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM) together with Merck Sharp &Dohme (Malaysia) SdnBhd (MSD) aims to equip women with knowledge on cervical cancer so that they are educated on this preventable cancer which will then allow them to take charge of their health. While predominantly reaching out to women, the ‘It’s Your Life, Why Take a Chance’ campaign also targets the male population to get involved and support the women in their lives in the fight against cervical cancer. Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Malaya, Professor Dr JamiyahBinti Hassan said, in Malaysia, cervical cancer is among the top three most common cancers and the fifth cause of cancer deaths among women. “About 2,145 women in the country are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 621 of them die from the disease every year, based on estimates from 2012. “Various strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), a common sexually transmitted infection that affects one in two sexually active persons, play a role in causing most cervical cancer cases. “About six new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed in Malaysian women every day and tragically, nearly two women die from this largely preventable disease daily. “Women need to come forward for Pap smear screenings and HPV vaccination as these are two key measures for cervical cancer prevention. This is a cancer which can be prevented, hence why would we take a chance with life,” she said. Meanwhile, President, National Cancer Society Malaysia, Dr SaunthariSomasundaram said, there are over 100 different types of HPV, although not all of them cause health problems, she said. However, HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58 cause 90% of all cervical cancers. HPV types 52 and 58 are among the most common types found in Malaysian women2. “In Malaysia, cervical cancer is more prevalent than most people realise as there is a reluctance to talk about the disease among sufferers and their families. Many Malaysians are unaware that cervical cancer can be prevented. “Most people also do not realise whether they have been infected by HPV, as there are no signs or symptoms. Thus, it is of utmost importance that we continue education on prevention, so that our women can be better informed on the prevention measures for cervical cancer and subsequently take charge of their health. “Many women prioritise others in their lives and tend to neglect themselves. We need to be proactive in taking measures to protect ourselves so that we can continue being pillars of strength for our loved ones,” he said. Regular Pap smear tests and HPV vaccination go hand in hand in providing a shield against cervical cancer, he said. Women are encouraged to consult their healthcare providers to find out more on how they can best protect themselves against the disease. As most Malaysians are social and mobile-centric users who spend most of their time searching for and consuming content online, the ‘It’s Your Life, Why Take a Chance’ campaign website (www.itsyourlife.net) and Facebook page have been set up to serve as a resource centre for the public to learn more about cervical cancer. These platforms were developed to provide interesting and engaging content on how women can protect themselves from the disease.
Apart from that, he said, DAP leaders in Sarawak are no longer popular.
On Friday, Sarawak DAP Chairman Chong Chieng Jen said there is a good chance for Pakatan Harapan (PH) to form the next federal government if the party retains its six seats, which contributed to the change of the government in the last general election in 2018.
The seats are Mas Gading, Bandar Kuching, Stampin, Sarikei, Sibu and Lanang.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) senior lecturer Prof Dr Lee Kuok Tiung said it is unlikely that PH will return to power as there is not much ‘wind of change’, after the four-year-long political uncertainty in the country.
He said people had given PH the opportunity to lead the country in 2018, but they performed badly.
“Besides, there is no anti-Najib sentiment, in fact, there is sympathy sentiment towards him now,” he said, referring to the former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is currently serving his 12-year jail term.
Lee also felt that it is going to be an uphill battle for DAP to retain all their parliamentary seats in GE15, after failing to materialise what they promised in the last general election, including the recognition of the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC).
Besides, they also cancelled several infrastructure projects in Sarawak.
In the last state election, he said, DAP was voted out of Kota Sentosa, Bukit Assek, Pelawan and Tanjung Batu in addition to failing to regain Pujut and won only Padungan and Pending.
“Based on that, I don’t think they can retain all the seats in GE15. But, things will change after nomination day as the right candidate is crucial.
“Many voters are fence sitters, who will decide, depending on who is the candidate,” he explained.
On whether the implementation of the lowering of the voting age to 18 (Undi18) and automatic voter registration will benefit DAP, Lee said based on his study, those aged between 18 and 20 are apolitical.
In order to win the votes from this age group, he said, focus must be given to the pertinent issues that relate to them, such as education, including the recognition of UEC.
Meanwhile, first-time voters, those who finally will be eligible to cast their votes due to the implementation of automatic voter registration – are unlikely to vote.
“The drastic increase of voters was due to the implementation of automatic voter registration instead of Undi18. But, these people are likely those who never bother to become a voter (even when they have reached the age), thus, I doubt they will come out to vote this time,” he said.
