Sarawak ethnic minorities may finally have reps in assembly

Two of Sarawak's smallest ethnic groups, the Kelabit and the Kenyah, could for the first time since the formation of Malaysia, have a lawmaker from their community if the candidates picked by the Barisan Nasional (BN) win the new seats of Mulu and Murum in the coming state elections. The Kelabit, who live in the highlands in Baram that bears their name, and in Bario Highland, number just around 6,600 people according to 2013 count but only some 1,200 are thought to still live in their remote homeland to farm and hunt, the rest having migrated to live and work in the urban centres. The Kelabit, despite their number, occupy some of the most influential posts in the public and private sectors and one name most Malaysians probably know is Datuk Seri Idris Jala, a former minister in the prime minister's department and now the chief executive officer of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu). The seat of Mulu, one of 11 new seats created by the Election Commission in last year's redrawing of the electoral boundary, is widely speculated to be allocated to Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) to contest and the potential candidates reads like a "who's who" in the state. Speculation is rife that the names of lawyer and Federation of Orang Ulu Associations Malaysia (Forum) president Datuk Gerawat Gala, Deputy State Secretary Datuk Ose Murang, corporate figure Datuk Isaac Lugun, former state immigration department director Datuk Robert Lian, and children's and heart specialist Dr Philip Raja, are in the hat for PBB president and Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem to pick. Jala, too, had been touted as a possible candidate but most political pundits believe it was unlikely he would be one. Adenan has yet to officially announce what are the five seats that had been allocated to PBB and who are their pick though he has left a trial of hints. Carved out of the PKR-held Ba Kelalan and PBB-held Telang Usan seats, Mulu has slightly over 8,000 voters that include the Kenyah, Kayan, Penan, Kelabit and Iban. The Kenyah, however, are by far a larger group numbering over 24,000 with another 44,000 of their "cousins" in Indonesian East Kalimantan. Earlier this week, Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Tan Sri Dr James Masing announced Chuk Pai, a Kenyah, to contest the Murum seat for the BN. Masing, in a dialogue with Orang Ulu leaders from Sg. Asap and Tubau, said the Kenyah are on the cusp of history, and on the verge of having a lawmaker they could call their own. The Sarawak land development minister told them that since Sarawak's independence, no Kenyah had ever been elected to the Sarawak assembly and Chuk, PRS Murum division chairman, could be the first if they threw their support behind the businessman. The Kenyah make up 34% of the constituents in Murum. Masing in the dialogue vouched for Chuk's political credentials, saying he is "not a green horn in politics" having been with PRS "through thick and thin". "If he is victorious, it will be historic for the Kenyah people," said Masing. – February 14, 2016.]]>