COMMENT The political scene in Sarawak is geared for great drama as the state readies itself for the state elections which are to be held no later than July 2011.
Already the political battering is being played out before the public via the local mainstream media. Local leaders are coming forward to post their support to whoever they deemed worthy of leading and guiding them.
Yet the question on everyone's mind is who will take over from Taib Mahmud. Though reports seem to point to Adenan Satem; this can never be taken as fact until this old man of politics actually announces it.
The more important question is what will become of Sarawak after Taib Mahmud.
Most observers are casting their eyes west, to the peninsula; will Umno now make its move to step into Sarawak politics, much like it did in Sabah?
We all know the discord Umno caused Sabah, and the most likely answer would be a resounding No. Yet we cannot foretell the future, because Umno can work in mysterious ways to gain what they have long coveted and have yet to attain.
Indeed, the thought of a Sarawak without Taib Mahmud is a double edged sword.
Pakatan Rakyat and DAP primarily would love to see Taib Mahmud out of the picture. Taib's grasp on business deals would be broken and this spells well for the business men of Sarawak who are primarily Chinese.
The spirited attack on Taib's business dealings would be justified, and Pakatan Rakyat would be considered champions of the rakyat for removing the state of a grave tyrant.
Yet, without Taib Mahmud, who will Pakatan Rakyat put forward as a credible Chief Minister candidate?
A game of trust
The Barisan Nasional camp, as expected issued its full support to Taib Mahmud leading them into the elections, but this is merely a delaying tactic. They too are worried. Will the new man in charge be able to keep the coalition together? And most importantly, will the new man be able to keep Umno out of Sarawak.
For both Pakatan and BN the fight is to win the hearts of normal day Sarawakians. There is deep mistrust of anything Semenanjung.
And though Pakatan is painted as a Semenanjung entity trying to propagate its alien agenda, the urban folks buy into Pakatan's stand on good governance. This is clearly seen, with the number urban seats for Pakatan candidates.
The rural support will still be for BN, with the exception that the state BN remains essentially a Sarawak BN and not one involving Umno.
Here is where the oxymoronic scheme of things becomes really blurry. The BN folks have to play tic-tac-toe with their Semenanjung counterparts without seemingly seen as being too deviant or rebellious to the powers in charge and the Pakatan have to play tic-tac-toe with their local base support without seemingly being seen as being an alien entity.
It is a game of trust that will determine Sarawak's future after Taib Mahmud.
Who will the people trust more, in keeping the Semenanjung forces at bay from undulating Sarawak and essentially running away with her riches, like what they have done in Sabah?
Can the people trust a Pakatan government with the riches of Sarawak or will we see the same problems abet just different people involve in them?
Can we trust a new BN leader to hold back the advances of Umno into Sarawak?
What Sarawakians want
This is the state of anarchy Sarawakians are worried about when Taib is no longer in the picture.
Because the government may change, but the form of government will still be the same and with Taib out of the picture, things may be getting from bad to worse.
Unfortunately, the political characters in the state of Sarawak have done a poor job at assuring the general populace. There is a disconnect between politics and the everyday Sarawakian.
It seems almost all political figures in Sarawak are more interested in arguing among themselves then they are in serving the people. All this political squabbling amounts to no more than a playground spat that is costing the rakyat, and I shudder to think my tax ringgits are being use to pay squabbling grown-ups.
The seemingly rampart use of scare tactics on the rural populace to secure votes in exchange for land titles and development has been going on for too long and should not be used to garner votes as it insults the intelligence of the general populace.
Sarawakians are wise enough to decide for themselves who they want in government. All we ask for, is that the vote gets translated into service for the people and not squabbling in the assembly.
Sarawakians want assurance from the corridors of power that whoever leads them, they will be able to live peacefully, fruitfully and happily.
Maclean Patrick, a webmaster in Kuching, is a contributor to FreeMalaysiaToday.
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