After Pakatan Harapan's loss in the Tanjung Piai by-election, Sarawak's major political party Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) sees it a sign for Harapan's uphill battle in the 2021 state election.

PBB information chief Idris Buang (photo, above) said frustration is simmering among the locals who had voted for Harapan, particularly its coalition partner DAP, over their failure to fulfil the GE14 election manifesto.

“The failure of DAP and its Harapan partners to live up to the expectations of those who voted them in is now clearly felt, as many of the promises in the so-called ‘Real Deal for Sarawak’ can never be fulfilled.

“Where have the 20 percent oil royalty and 50 percent income tax share for Sarawak gone to? What have they done to make sure Petronas pays our five percent sales tax on exports of our petroleum products, from which Sarawak stands to get approximately RM3 billion to RM4 billion a year?” Idris was reported as saying by the Borneo Post.

The Muara Tuang assemblyperson stressed that Harapan MPs from the state had never raised Petronas' non-payment of the State Sales Tax in Parliament, while its assemblypersons only raised the issue in the State Legislative Assembly after being accused of betraying the state.

He cited the failure to fulfil the manifesto and the rising cost of living as among the reasons why Harapan was defeated in the by-election.

In the recent Tanjung Piai by-election, BN, represented by MCA's Wee Jeck Seng, won by a whopping 15,086-vote majority against Harapan's Karmaine Sardini, who is from Bersatu.

Wee garnered 25,466 votes to Karmaine's 10,380 votes.

The turnout was 74.5 percent.