SUPP president Dr Sim Kui Hian warns of divisive rhetoric as Sarawak braces for imminent state polls

KUCHING: Political activity is gaining momentum across Sarawak as the state edges closer to its next general election, with community leaders urging voters to stay united and resist inflammatory rhetoric.

Sarawak United Peoples Party (SUPP) president Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian cautioned that the intensifying political climate would likely bring more contentious issues to the fore in the weeks and months ahead.

Speaking at a post-Chinese New Year community gathering in Bau town, Bau district, the SUPP leader said the public must remain vigilant.

“As more political activities are intensifying throughout Sarawak, we must keep watch not to be divided by politically extreme rhetoric,” said Dr Sim, who also serves as the state’s deputy premier.

He stressed that disunity among Sarawak’s electorate was something the ruling coalition could not afford, and called on voters to continue supporting the state government’s direction as the election draws near.

SUPP is a component party of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), the coalition currently governing Sarawak.

The other GPS member parties are Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), and the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP).

Sources within GPS have indicated that the ruling coalition may dissolve the State Legislative Assembly shortly after the Gawai Dayak festivities in June.

A dissolution in early July would place polling day sometime between mid-July and early August — well ahead of the assembly’s scheduled expiry on December 18 this year.

“The GPS will not wait until the very last to call for the polls,” one GPS source noted, adding that the current political landscape in Sarawak remains stable and favourable for the coalition to secure a strong majority.

The timing is also seen as strategically advantageous, given that the Gawai Dayak celebrations tend to generate goodwill and festive sentiment among the Dayak community, which makes up the majority of the state’s electorate.

In the meantime, GPS has been stepping up grassroots engagement, rolling out numerous community-level projects backed by substantial financial allocations.

Of the 82 state constituencies, GPS currently holds 80 seats, with the remaining two — Padungan and Pending — held by Sarawak DAP.

 The Sun Malaysia