Sarawak S Pbb Party Polls A Politics Of Accommodation

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Sarawak’s Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) held its party polls last week. It received little coverage in Peninsular Malaysia, where an appreciation of what is going on in Sarawak politics is a serious deficit.
PBB is the fourth-largest party in the government, holding 14 seats in Parliament and its leader, Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Openg, is arguably one of the most powerful politicians in the country.
As leader of the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition consisting of 23 parliamentary seats, he was decisive in forming the Madani government - and remains so.
His continued support for the government is critical for whether Anwar Ibrahim remains prime minister and for national political stability.
The PBB party election, called early before the expected 2026 Sarawak state election, served to galvanise the party, strengthen leaders ahead of the state polls and send a clear message of accommodation both nationally and within the party.
Need for religious tolerance
If there was one theme that resonated at the party convention, it was a call for better management of ethnic relations and religious affairs on the part of the federal government.
There was repeated criticism of the guidelines for Muslims interacting with non-Muslims issued by the religious affairs minister and rescinded by the cabinet days later.
Both grassroots and leaders raised concerns about creating unnecessary barriers among communities that tear at the social fabric and contrasted the guidelines with Sarawak’s pattern of intermarriage and mutual respect of all faiths.
This issue was particularly highlighted by PBB Muslim leaders, showcasing how inappropriate and insensitive these guidelines were for multicultural Sarawak - and for a diverse Malaysia.
Need to put Sarawak first
This issue of respecting differences around religion also played out in the party results.
Consider the results for the vice-president posts, where incumbent Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah lost. Some might see the loss as the grassroots sending a signal to the leadership, given Karim’s perceived close relationship with Abang Johari.
This would not be a correct interpretation. Other leaders close to the premier retained their seats. For Karim, there was persistent disgruntlement among Dayak members of the party about what was seen (and later corrected) as support for Palestinian refugees in November 2023.
Palestinian refugees arriving in Malaysia to receive medical treatment in August 2024The opposition to support for Palestinian refugees coming into Sarawak and for funding overseas in the Middle East/Gaza rather than addressing pressing needs for rural infrastructure in rural Sarawak remains strong.
Some in Sarawak see the focus on Gaza as a misplaced priority of the Madani government. The call to accommodate the views of non-Muslim communities within the state resonated in the PBB results.
Noteworthy, Karim also did not benefit from a crowded field of candidates from southern Sarawak, as regional support from the south, central, and northern parts of the state influenced PBB election outcomes.
Karim also received some opposition from those who hope to position themselves for state leadership. He is a rising star in Sarawak politics, and despite the VP loss remains so. He remains an important member of the state cabinet.
The highest result for the VP went to Ibrahim Baki. His victory shows, however, that there are multiple rising stars in PBB, as a generational transformation in response to demographic pressures is slowly taking place.
Multi-ethnic accommodation
The victory of Len Talif Salleh, a Melanau, for the vice-presidency speaks to ethnic accommodation of another form.
In recent years, there have been concerns about the displacement of Melanau community from the PBB leadership by the Malay community.
Drawing from support from the central region of Sarawak and his ethnic roots, Len Talif’s candidacy gained traction, as many delegates reinforced a call to maintain diversity in PBB’s leadership.
The Bumiputera Wing’s supreme council also is now comprised of nearly a third of Melanau members as well, although the key factors shaping success were incumbency and holding party office.
Generally, what has emerged in PBB in recent years is the strengthening power of the Pesaka (non-Muslim Bumiputera communities of Iban, Bidayuh, Kenyah, and Kelabit) in influencing the party electoral outcomes, especially among the more competitive contests involving leadership contests in the Bumiputera wing.
Persistent quiet factionalism
As with all parties, there are internal divisions, with those vying for positions.
Personality and personal loyalties play a role in party elections. Personal style, especially those that are seen as less amiable, makes a difference too.
“Sombong” (arrogant) impressions accounted for a few of the declines in support of some incumbents. PBB is based in a highly personalised state where everyone knows everyone and relationships matter, including family ties.
Abang Johari has groomed some of his own leaders, but generally, his style has been to stay above the fray of the party factions rather than to compete directly with them.
Sarawak Premier Abang Johari OpengThis differs from dynamics in other parties in peninsula Malaysia where factions are more closely tied to leaders.
PBB also includes a mix of technocrats, rather than career politicians.
The factionalism is largely among the politicians. The results for the PBB supreme council show the persistent strength of the Awang Tengah Ali Hasan faction over that of Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof.
These loyalties are both personal and generational, with older leaders more aligned with Awang Tengah, for example.
There is quiet competition among these leaders and their loyalists for greater party control and future leadership.
Fadillah’s senior federal role has made him be seen at odds with state leaders pushing for greater demands for autonomy and his time based in Putrajaya has distanced his ability to connect to the party grassroots, especially those outside of the Kuching area.
Fadillah even faced a possible challenge for his party position, but this was averted as the party leadership opted for stability and unity going into polls rather than contestation at the top.
Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah YusofIn the Pesaka wing, where diversity is more pronounced, the results were more evenly split, with more of a generational shift taking place towards the leadership of Alexander Nanta Linggi, the party’s secretary general.
Yet, here too, the practice of accommodation was evident, as PBB delegates assured that all the major non-Muslim communities were represented.
Importantly, the current competition for power within PBB has not created the sour divisive dynamics found in peninsular-based parties such as that of Umno and PKR historically and more recently in DAP.
The push to unite Sarawak in its struggle for greater autonomy from the federal government as well as accommodative leadership of different groups and regions within Sarawak has made relations within PBB comparatively more cordial.
A consolidation of power
The main effect of the persistent factionalism and cordiality has been to strengthen the leadership of Abang Johari. He comes out of the party election stronger than when he went into it within PBB.
Nationally, his standing remains strong even as there is growing federal disquiet over Sarawak’s demands for autonomy and control over its resources.
The grassroots did however provide some cautions for the premier from the floor debate about overpromising and needs in rural infrastructure.
The gap between promises/expectations and delivery (through good governance) is perhaps PBB’s main challenge as it heads to a strong advantage in the coming state polls.
Quiet concerns were also expressed about the decision for a presidential council, a new level of political decision-making that narrows discussions while centralising power around the premier and his appointees. It appears to be sidelining the power and inputs of the supreme councils of the two wings.
By choosing to go to the party polls before the state elections, Abang Johari showed strength rather than weakness, allowing for the resolution of differences within the party, something other parties such as Umno are not doing with damaging implications. Conflicts not addressed only deepen.
Instead, by embracing accommodation and reducing conflict, PBB continues its dominance and consolidation of power in Sarawak. - Mkini
BRIDGET WELSH is an honorary research associate of the University of Nottingham’s Asia Research Institute, a senior research associate at Hu Fu Center for East Asia Democratic Studies, and a senior associate fellow at The Habibie Centre. Her writings can be found at bridgetwelsh.com.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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