Although Baram is considered a rural seat, do not underestimate the voters there. Almost 70% of the voters are from the Orang Ulu community and they do not necessarily vote for the BN candidate.
Independents have won the Baram seat before.
Take the case of the 13th general election (GE13). The Progressive Democratic Party’s (PDP) newcomer Anyi Ngau only won by 193 votes over his PKR opponent Roland Engan and independent Patrick Sibat.
Had Sibat, who garnered 363 votes, not gone in to contest, BN/PDP would have lost to PKR.
What was the reason for this? It seems the personality or popularity of the candidate is more important than the party to a lot of Baram voters.
Before GE13, supporters of five-term incumbent Jacob Dungau Sagan were very unhappy over his abrupt replacement by Anyi Ngau, who was then the Limbang district officer.
Angry supporters of Sagan, including many headmen, even signed a petition to the prime minister, deputy prime minister and Sarawak chief minister, demanding their urgent intervention as they opposed the move to replace Sagan with a “totally new face at such short notice”.
It was apparent in this case that Sagan’s supporters did not vote for Anyi Ngau or they had boycotted the elections.
Another time the Baram voters supported a non-BN candidate was in 1990 when an independent, Harrison Ngau Laing, defeated six-term BN/SNAP incumbent Luhat Wan.
Harrison, now a lawyer, was then a well-known environmentalist working among the Orang Ulu community.
His 1990 surprise victory proved the voters’ respect and appreciation for his dedication and service.
However, for some reason, they dumped Harrison in 1995 and returned to BN’s fold, voting in Jacob Sagan. Harrison had contested that year on a Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) ticket.
Now, history seems to be repeating itself in Baram. It is reliably learnt that certain quarters within PDP want Anyi Ngau replaced for GE14.
The purported move is now out in the open with Anyi’s staunch backer, Wan Lah, chairman of the Telang Usan PDP division, publicly declaring that the incumbent MP is still the best BN candidate to defend Baram.
Whoever is selected as the BN/PDP candidate can expect a tough challenge from PKR come GE14.
The opposition is expected to field Roland Engan again.
Baram is the riskiest seat, out of the four held by PDP.
Outside of politics, the economic potential of Baram’s tourism attractions has always been recognised as one of the main components of the plans and strategies to develop the district sustainably.
Baram has high potential to turn into a highland economic powerhouse that rivals Kundasang in Sabah or Cameron Highlands in Pahang.
The area also has great potential for oil palm plantations and forestry.
The local communities in Baram are expected to enjoy the benefits of the improved connectivity brought about by SCORE-related projects, particularly in terms of opening up more areas for tourism activities in the area.
With “culture, adventure and nature” a significant theme for the state’s tourism promotion efforts through SCORE, Baram is set to play a more important role in this industry in the years ahead.