Kuching: DAPSY Sarawak Deputy Chief Soo Tien Ren believes DAP Sarawak’s target of winning eight to 10 seats in the upcoming Sarawak state election could have a significant impact on the state’s political landscape over the next five years.
He said the target, announced during DAP’s “60 Years On – For One and All” fundraising dinner last Friday, should not be viewed merely through the traditional lens of opposition seats providing checks and balances.
Instead, Soo said 10 DAP seats could generate wider political change, including influencing the balance within the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition and pushing for greater accountability and structural reforms.
He argued that a significant defeat for the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) in urban constituencies could have repercussions beyond the party itself, potentially affecting the internal balance within GPS and putting greater pressure on Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB).
Soo also pointed to the political developments following the 2022 general election, when there was speculation that Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg was inclined towards supporting the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition.
He said the episode demonstrated that public sentiment, particularly among Dayak voters, could influence major political decisions.
“That episode taught Dayak voters something they haven’t forgotten: the votes in their hands are, on their own, a political force strong enough to make Abang Jo switch sides and bow to pressure at the critical moment,” he said.
Soo added that the emergence of 10 strong DAP seats would send a similar message that voters should not be taken for granted.
He also drew comparisons with DAP Sarawak’s performance in the 2011 state election, when the party won 12 seats and emerged as a stronger opposition force in the State Legislative Assembly.
According to Soo, those 12 seats played an important role in challenging the political dominance of the late former Sarawak Chief Minister Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud.
“Hand DAP ten seats now, and those ten voices could do just as much to reshape Sarawak’s political landscape,” he said.
Soo further argued that infrastructure development alone would not be sufficient to address the state’s deeper socio-economic inequalities.
While acknowledging that major road and infrastructure projects had benefited Sarawakians, he questioned whether continued spending and borrowing could adequately address issues such as stagnant wages, talent migration and the concentration of wealth and political power.
He also raised concerns over Sarawak’s debt servicing obligations, questioning whether the state’s development model remained sustainable in the long term.
“As a Sarawakian, I think that’s a bill I’m entitled to ask about. Is GPS building Sarawak’s future, or mortgaging it?” he said.
Soo said Sarawak must also address the challenges faced by young professionals, pointing to starting salaries for lawyers and civil engineers as an example of why many skilled Sarawakians continue to seek better opportunities elsewhere, including Singapore.
“If young professionals cannot afford to build a life in their own motherland, then who is the so-called ‘rise’ of Sarawak actually for?” he asked.
He stressed that DAP’s role was not simply to oppose development but to question how public funds were spent, whether policies benefited ordinary Sarawakians and whether the state’s political system required deeper reform.
“What we are doing is merely asking questions, but even so, answers are not given,” he said.
Soo maintained that although 10 seats might appear small numerically, the political influence of those seats could be substantial.
“Ten seats might look small on paper. But the political energy behind them is enough to reshape Sarawak’s politics for the next five years,” he said.
