Strata Analytica

The rice war

And the winner is….

Hari ini 29 Julai 2023, adalah hari penamaan calon di 6 negeri yang akan mengadakan Pilihanraya Negeri PRN15, baki daripada negeri-negeri yang tidak melakukan pilihanraya negeri serentak dengan Pilihanraya Umum PRU15. Untuk memudahkan para peminat politik tanahair, kami akan kongsikan sedikit maklumat awal.

Dua blok utama yang akan bertembung keras ialah gandingan Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional (PH-BN) lawan Perikatan Nasional (PN). Sudah tentu ianya akan menjanjikan pertarungan yang sengit. Sila terus mengikuti perkongsian kami di sini.

What's going on in Sarawak? We know that in the 12th State Elections, BERSATU withdrew their candidates, including Datuk Ali Biju. The ghost candidate somehow picked up 13.6% of the votes from the unaware Krian voters. That was despite Datuk Ali also campaigning for the GPS candidate.

This time round in the recently concluded GE15, PN put in 4 candidates i.e. at Batang Lupar (from PAS), Lubok Antu, Saratok and Bintulu, the later 3 all from BERSATU. Did PN and GPS broke ranks?

Rumours has it that, Abg Jo cut a deal with BERSATU to withdraw from the State Elections but will consider the chance in the GE15. It wasn't as tight a deal on paper, so come GE15 GPS still declared that they will contest on all 31 seats, leaving the BERSATU aspiring candidates in awe.

Before that, one of the incumbents from BERSATU had joined GPS and therefore BERSATU/PN was left with a solitary seat. Despite the GPS's chief verbal "arrangement" with BERSATU top leaders, the GPS component parties did not see the so called "arrangement" as legitimate. Their Sarawak for Sarawakians call reigned supreme. And of course none of the components would want to give away any parliamentary seat to an ally outside of GPS.

So, the GE15 saw PN fielding in 4 candidates. The result was a solitary PN win in Saratok where the incumbent Datuk Ali Biju retained the seat with a respectable majority. It was after all just a sibling rivalry, said some quarters.

Would you like a further dig into the Sarawak affairs?