Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs told FMT he did not believe GPS would make way to allow the two former PKR men to defend their seats even though they were now in Bersatu, which is a GPS ally at the federal level.
Mongin is the MP for Puncak Borneo and Ali is the MP for Saratok.
Oh said the political future of the two would also depend on whether Bersatu or Perikatan Nasional (PN) would want to go against GPS.
“It depends on whether Bersatu or PN would like to make a hard landing in Sarawak,” he said. “If Bersatu is dead set on doing so, then the two are likely to be fielded again as they stand the best, though very slim, chance of retaining their seats.”
He said the Bersatu-led PN coalition was not strong enough in Sarawak for Mongin and Ali to go up against GPS and opposition parties. “Not in a thousand years,” he said.
Mongin and Ali won their parliamentary seats on a Pakatan Harapan ticket in 2018. Both MPs joined Bersatu following the toppling of the PH government.
Mongin recently said he was ready to defend his seat for GPS, but the coalition’s lynch pin, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), told him the seat was PBB’s.
Ali, a former PKR vice-president, initially threw his hat into the ring for the Krian state seat in the Sarawak polls in December, running as an independent and clashing with GPS.
However, he withdrew after being told to do so by Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin, but not before telling GPS he hoped his sacrifice would be repaid in kind when it came to his parliamentary seat.
Dick Lembang Dugun of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak said it was possible for GPS to invite the two MPs to join the coalition, but added that grassroots supporters of the coalition might not accept the pair.
He expects Mongin to run as an independent for the Puncak Borneo seat in GE15 if he was not fielded as a party candidate.
He added: “If GPS gives way to Ali to contest in Saratok in GE15, Ali will be safe. But anything can happen in politics. I think there will be some drama.”