Sleepless in Sarawak

It has been rumoured that probably in another 12 to 18 months time, Sarawakians will go to the polls for their state elections. With recent activities by the opposition parties, those 12 to 18 months will seem just a little too fast for the BN coalition and for once the strangle hold of Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud is under real threat. What it will be for sure is 12 to 18 months of sleepless nights for the Chief Minister and co.

The cause of this insomnia causing revelation is that the Sibu Jaya and Sungai Merah branches both in Sibu has been officially launched. Members of both these new branches are predominantly Iban and it is a known fact that over the years the Ibans of Sarawak were never happy with the BN Government or its Chief Minister.

The 2 new branches of DAP held their first AGM to elect its pioneer batch of office bearers at the Sibu DAP office yesterday morning. The Sibu branch head office was said to be filled to the brim that every chair was occupied and even so members still kept pouring in, willingly standing throughout the whole meeting. More of these rural DAP branches will be set up in the coming months and for sure alarm bells have been ringing in the BN camp.

Several Iban leaders were invited to speak at the meeting and all of their speeches had the same tune in it that how the BN Government has continuingly neglecting the Iban communities despite of promising them heaven and earth. They even expose the fact that BN leaders have resorted to threats and intimidation, dissuading them to join or vote for the opposition. The NCR land issue was also mention by these Iban leaders as we know that over the years they have been robbed slowly but surely by the tyrant pirate Chief Minister and his faithful crooked cronies.

It was always a known fact that in order for the opposition in Sarawak to break the BN dominance would be to have these Iban communities wake up from the bondage of their very own Iban BN leaders. Once they have the courage and the political maturity to do so then a change of state and maybe even federal government is in the cards. With the show of support as seen at the DAP branch opening a political wind of change is blowing in Sarawak. As the DAP now plans to open more and more such rural branches, this wind of change might turn into a full blown typhoon and blow BN away. It has been a long time coming.

Taib and his cronies swan song days of plundering the state's resources maybe numbered. After nearly 3 decades at the helm he has already amassed enough pension fund not only for him but probably enough for 3 or 4 of his generations to come. He has no one to blame as years of marginalising and oppressing the Ibans has finally caught up with him. All his Iban cronies must also be shaking in their boots as they know they have awoken a sleeping giant and there is no turning back now. They now must scurry for whatever they can scavenge for in a year or a year and a half they can jolly well kiss their ministerial posts good bye as they face the wrath of the monster of their own creation.