Autonomy key to making inroads into East Malaysia, says S’wak PAS chief

MIRI (Sept 13): Autonomous approach is the way forward to better suit the peculiarities of the political landscape and sentiment of Sarawak, said Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) state commissioner Jofri Jaraiee.

On Sept 11, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man acknowledged the party’s lack of support in the East Malaysia states and said that it may be time that autonomy is granted to the Islamic party’s chapters in Sabah and Sarawak.

“There is a need for a different approach to win over Sabahans and Sarawakians, given the different political environment there,” he said when officiating at the PAS Youth’s muktamar at Temerloh, Pahang.

Jofri said PAS Sarawak concurred with this statement, adding that it would empower the chapters in Sabah and Sarawak to plan as well as implement their own strategies and approaches that are tailored to the distinct political environments in each state.

The party, he added, recognised that Sabah and Sarawak are characterised by diverse ethnic, cultural and religious groups that significantly differ from the demographic makeup of the peninsula.

“Autonomy allows the protection and promotion of local customs, languages and governance structures that are unique to these regions.

“Both states would have the flexibility to adopt social policies that reflect their distinct values and needs, such as land rights for indigenous communities under native customary law, which differ from the land policies in the peninsula,” he said when contacted by The Borneo Post.

Stressing that East Malaysia is a different proposition compared to Peninsular Malaysia, Jofri said this proposed autonomy is rooted in the need to respect and accommodate the unique historical, cultural and socio-economic landscapes of each region.

“Autonomy goes beyond mere decentralisation; it is about empowering these states to address local needs effectively, ensure equitable resource distribution and preserve cultural identity.

“While Peninsular Malaysia operates under a more centralised framework aimed at national unity, autonomy in Sarawak and Sabah respects the unique agreements and practical needs of these states within the Malaysian federation,” he said.

PAS has 43 parliamentary seats and 105 state seats but it has yet to make any inroads in either Sarawak or Sabah, failing to win the trust and confidence of its voters across the South China Sea in past elections.

PAS is currently the largest political party in Malaysia that controls four states, and aims to build on its momentum to return in Putrajaya, where it shared the corridor of powers under Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin while Perikatan Nasional was in power with the help of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition after the Pakatan Harapan government fell in 2020.

Tuan Ibrahim stated that while PAS has the support of the majority of Malays in Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis, it needs to redress its lack of support in non-Malay areas, including the southern parts of the peninsula as well as Sabah and Sarawak.