KUCHING – Taking down seven-term Serian incumbent Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem would be a monumental battle for seasoned politicians, what more for the political newbies that DAP and Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) will field against him in the 15th general election (GE15).
It is now official that Riot, from the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), will defend the Serian seat for the eighth time, while DAP and PSB have respectively announced Laerry Jabul and Elsiy Tingang as contenders.
Riot was formerly a federal minister and the prime minister’s special envoy to East Asia during the brief Perikatan Nasional administration. He will be 71 years old in December.
His name strikes a chord and is synonymous with the Bidayuh heartland in Serian. Simply put, Serian is Riot’s pocket borough.
As MP here for seven terms, Riot wields a track record showcasing the progress of Serian – a town known for its unique durians iconised by a huge larger-than-life durian figurine at its roundabout. Locals swear that Serian’s durians have a distinctive bittersweet and quirky piquant flavour, unlike durians found elsewhere in Sarawak.
Riot is expected to repeat his winning streak in GE15, having won all previous elections in Serian with big majorities since his first outing in 1990 as an independent. Locals joke that on polling day the returning officer will announce another “durian runtuh” moment for him, as he is expected to repeat his winning streak.
In 2015, Serian grew in status geographically when it was elevated from a district to a division.
The former district is now one of the state’s 12 divisions and hosts the attractive RM200 million five-story administrative centre with its architectural design styled after the traditional Bidayuh baruk homes.
In October, Riot told local media that Serian has seen much development despite being the newest of Sarawak’s 12 administrative divisions. He also promised more infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, a glittering waterfront enclave, and new commercial centres.
For a good percentage of the 37,629 registered Serian voters, Riot is their tribal chieftain – the kind of native grandee revered out of primordial sentimentality and one who must not be displaced.
Young Turks
Opposition candidates Jabul and Tingang will be colliding against this juggernaut of a parliamentarian when they hit the campaign trail.
However, both candidates hold their own as professionals with an educated background and fresh views on politics.
Tingang has a law degree from London University and a Master of Law from Staffordshire University and has been involved in banking and finance, specialising in credit risk management and corporate restructuring. She had worked with Pengurusan Danaharta Nasional Bhd during the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.
She recently retired from Perbadanan Insurance Deposit Malaysia and is currently a consultant with the International Monetary Fund and Asian Development Bank. She is also a member of the Insolvency Practitioners Association of Malaysia.
Jabul, meanwhile, is a UniKL graduate with a degree in aviation technology. He also has another degree in human resource management from Universiti Sains Malaysia and a Master of Science from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.
Both candidates are Serian-homegrown. Tingang is of Iban-Bidayuh parentage and Jabul is a true-blue Bidayuh who speaks the primaeval Bukar Sadong dialect much to his electoral favour.
Jabul told The Vibes: “I aspire to change the mindset of the youth. The young electorate must be well informed of the kind of politics that concerns grassroots participation in the political process. Young voters want change in the local political scene but not many are willing to step up to the plate.
“It is for them to take ownership of the situation. We, the young people, are the future of our nation, so we must speak out loud and be clear with our demands and know what we actually want,” added the 42-year-old oil palm plantation owner.
Tingang also agrees with the importance of grassroots participation in the political process.
Serian glaringly needs an economic uplift and related activities to support economic life.
“I do not see sustainable economic activities in the constituency from one election to another in the last decades.
“Where are the SMEs that could generate job opportunities for the people? It is important to provide revenue-generating business activities styled after micro-economies. I have yet to hear of any initiative towards this agenda planned for Serian folk in the many years past,” she told The Vibes.
Tingang said she is not impressed by Riot’s contribution to Serian.
“I have yet to see any lasting and concrete initiatives on the economy or finance, such as providing micro-credit facilities for the poor to engage in business, education and culture as well as the development of the individual and empowerment of communities including women.”
She said Riot may have done well superficially by showing up at youth futsal gatherings and going on roadshows.
“But there are long-term specific problems faced by the people, especially jobless breadwinners and people in the B40 strata,” she said, making specific mention of unemployment and the spiralling cost of basic necessities.
She also listed native customary rights land issues and unsettled matters regarding the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
Jabul meanwhile said Serian’s “pretty and modern” looks are “nice” but questioned what good this would do for its people who lack the basics in education, healthcare and food.
He said he will be championing youth issues in his election campaign, as “the future is for the young” and must therefore be “of and by” the young.
“Old guards from the previous era must not overstay longer than it is necessary.
My call to the young in Serian, especially first-time voters is to elect someone who will be there for them and who thinks like them and mostly, one who understands them and their needs.”
In this three-cornered contest, both Jabul and Tingang are political neophytes.
Yet they are nimble-footed and have the spirited guile of youth and talent. It is to be seen in this polling season for whom the durians fall in Serian. – The Vibes, November 3, 2022
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