PETALING JAYA: PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang (pix) has no place in Sarawak, DAP’s Lanang MP Alice Lau said as political analysts criticised the opposition leader for resorting to race baiting to win the support of voters.
Hadi stirred controversy when he urged Sarawakians to prevent DAP from coming into power lest the state be controlled by the Chinese, a divisive remark political analysts believe would only cost Umno and PAS.
“We don’t need him coming here and to play up racial issues. This is a non-issue in Sarawak,” Lau told theSun.
She said such efforts by Hadi to cause division would not have any effect on the voting pattern in Sarawak, and would not benefit the Umno-PAS pact.
“Sarawakians will just ignore his statement. If PAS was influential here, they would have had elected representatives from here,” she said.
Assoc Prof Dr Jeniri Amir of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak said the political landscape in Sarawak and Sabah was different from that of the Peninsular.
“You can take it from here that there’s no place for Umno and PAS in Sabah and Sarawak,” he said yesterday.
“In fact, I did a study three years ago on 10,000 Sarawakians, and 92% said they didn’t want Umno entering the state. Now, with this collaboration with PAS, it’s only going to strengthen the sentiment against them.
“With Hadi’s statement, it will not help Umno and PAS at all. I don’t see PAS winning any seat in Sarawak in the foreseeable future.”
Hadi, at a Malaysia Day event in Bintulu, said the bumiputra community must unite to prevent the Chinese from controlling the state and that he was willing to work with Gabungan Parti Sarawak in the next state election to ensure DAP does not come into power.
Jeniri said Hadi’s comments was offensive to Sarawakians and divisive politics had no place in Sabah and Sarawak. “It just reflects the shallow understanding Hadi has of Sarawak,” he added.
Mohd Rahezzal Shah Abd Karim of UiTM Sabah said Umno had always talked about giving greater autonomy to its allies in Sabah and Sarawak but its pact with PAS now raised questions about the autonomy issue.
