Sarawak DAP’s claim that democracy is under threat in the state due to the dominance of the ruling coalition is just a desperate attempt to remain relevant, says a Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) assemblyman.
Wilfred Yap said that Sarawak DAP’s insinuation that the state’s political landscape is undemocratic due to Gabungan Parti Sarawak’s (GPS) strength was a “gross misrepresentation of the will of the people”, the Borneo Post reported.
Yap also said it was a flawed argument, arguing that democracy is not measured solely by the number of opposition seats but by the competency, accountability and transparency of GPS leaders.
Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen had last week rued that GPS had “absorbed almost all seats through party hopping and political co-opting” and that there were only two opposition seats now, namely Pending and Padungan.
Chong said such a situation was extremely detrimental to democratic development and offered no protection for the rights of ordinary citizens.
“This is a deeply unhealthy phenomenon for any country that upholds a democratic system,” he was reported to have said in a speech.
Chong also said countries such as Singapore still required opposition parties in Parliament to monitor its administration, despite the administration being renowned for its integrity and efficiency.
Yap said the comparison to Singapore’s political scenario was irrelevant as its political system is fundamentally different.
“The 10 seats won by the opposition in Singapore exist in a tightly controlled political environment where their voices are often stifled by legal and systemic barriers.
“In contrast, Sarawak’s democracy is organic and GPS’s dominance reflects public confidence, not suppression,” he was quoted as saying.
Yap, who is Kota Sentosa assemblyman, went on to say that the suggestion that GPS operated without oversight was also false.
He said the country has federal institutions like the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, while accountability is ensured through internal party discipline.
He also said the fact that Sarawak DAP had been reduced to just two seats in the state legislative assembly proved Sarawakians had rejected its brand of politics.
“Sarawakians want development, unity and progress – not DAP’s political theatrics.”
