No wipeout for DAP in Sarawak, says analyst

University of Tasmania's James Chin says the DAP has proven to be resilient, even though it presently holds just two seats, in a GPS-dominated Sarawak.

University of Tasmania’s James Chin said the party has shown resilience despite the dominance of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).

“In the last state election, despite GPS being so strong, DAP still managed to win two seats,” he told FMT.

Chin said no other opposition party currently possesses the strength or credibility to replace DAP in the Sarawak state assembly.

“There is only one other viable opposition party, which is Parti Bumi Kenyalang, but many of its candidates don’t have any credibility. In the last election all lost their deposit,” he said.

Chin said Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM), led by Larry Sng, could not be regarded as a conventional opposition party in the state.

“PBM is a part of the federal unity government. At the state, yes, it is seen as an opposition party, but it is an opposition party in name only. If PBM win, they will support GPS,” he said.

Chin further rejected comparisons with Sabah, saying the two states had very different political dynamics.

“The major difference is that in Sabah, the smaller parties have seats in the state assembly. In Sarawak, besides the GPS, only DAP has seats, so it’s not a fair comparison,” he said.

Chin was commenting on Sarawak deputy premier Sim Kui Hian’s statement that Sabah showed that an opposition could exist without DAP, reiterating his call for the party to be wiped out in the next state election.

DAP previously performed strongly in Sarawak, winning 12 seats in 2011 but its support has since declined sharply.

It now holds two seats in the 82-seat state assembly – Pending (Violet Yong) and Padungan (Chong Chieng Jen) – while GPS controls the remaining 80.

The party is targeting up to 18 seats in the next Sarawak election, due by mid-2027, to strengthen checks and balances.

Meanwhile, Universiti Malaya’s Awang Azman Awang Pawi said PKR could emerge as a potential alternative opposition if it strengthens its presence in Sarawak.

He added that PKR would need to broaden its appeal across communities to become a credible challenger.

“PKR has a broader multiracial brand compared to smaller parties, but to replace DAP meaningfully, it must attract more urban Chinese voters as well as semi-urban and rural Bumiputera voters, not just rely on national sentiment,” he said.

Awang Azman said Sarawak voters generally preferred stability-oriented parties, meaning opposition votes could fragment if DAP is weakened.

“If DAP loses support, some urban Chinese votes may shift to GPS–SUPP if stability and development are prioritised, while protest votes could go to PKR if it presents strong candidates and narratives,” he said.