Batang Ai By-Election - A Test of Dayaks' Political Maturity

Both BN and PR have started drumming up for support even before EC met to fix the dates of nomination and polling for Batang Ai by-election.

And now with the polling day fixed on April 7, the air over the constituency is pretty tense. The race to the seat in the state assembly has become the single most talked - about subject there.

This by-election is explosive at a time when PKR is heading towards Sarawak in a high-profiled way, building inroads into this eastern state in its most ambitious political struggle for power.

Batang Ai by-election carries profound political implications in that it is much more than just win or loss for the contesting parties - it essentially is an acid test of popularity for PKR in Sarawak.

More than that, the voting is a challenge to the Dayaks in their political maturity in embracing a dramatic change in the sky of the state's politics.

Dayak is the largest communal group in Sarawak. If they opt for a change, the implications would be deep and tremendous for Sarawak.

The Photo shows Batang Ai Longhouse Resort.