Wilson Nyabong Ijang

Summary

Wilson Nyabong Ijang is a PRS-GPS assemblyman who has held the Pelagus state seat in Sarawak's Kapit division continuously since 2016, winning re-election in 2021 under the GPS banner. He is active in PRS party politics, having contested — and narrowly lost — the party's presidential election in October 2025. His public positions centre on GPS coalition discipline and support for Sarawak's environmental and forestry legislation.

Biography

Wilson Nyabong Ijang is a Malaysian politician born on 8 June 1959 [1]. He has served as the Member of the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (ADUN) for the Pelagus constituency since 2016, representing Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), which was then a component party of Barisan Nasional (BN) and is now part of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) [2]. Following the fall of BN in the 2018 General Election, PRS joined the other Sarawak-based BN parties at a meeting on 12 June 2018 and collectively formed the new GPS coalition [2]. Wilson Nyabong first won the Pelagus seat at the 2016 Sarawak state election under the BN banner, defeating DAP's Frankie Bendindang Manjah and an independent candidate with a total of 3,778 votes [3]. He retained the seat at the 2021 Sarawak state election as a GPS-PRS candidate, polling 2,843 votes against four other contenders [4]. The Pelagus constituency falls under the Kapit parliamentary constituency in the upper Rejang River region of Sarawak, an area with a population of approximately 11,877 as of 2020 [2]. Wilson Nyabong has been an active participant in the Sarawak State Assembly, speaking on issues including forestry legislation and coalition politics. In October 2025, he contested the PRS presidential election at the party's sixth triennial delegates' conference but was defeated by Kakus assemblyman Datuk Seri John Sikie Tayai, who secured 186 votes to Wilson Nyabong's 154 [5]. Prior to the party election, he had been listed as a central committee member of PRS [2].

Known for

Wilson Nyabong Ijang is known as a two-term GPS-PRS assemblyman for the rural Pelagus constituency in the Kapit division of Sarawak. He attracted attention in October 2025 when he mounted a competitive — though ultimately unsuccessful — challenge for the PRS presidency at the party's triennial conference [5]. He has spoken in the Sarawak State Assembly on issues including inter-party competition within GPS and Sarawak's forestry and climate legislation [6].

Political positions

Wilson Nyabong has publicly advocated for internal GPS coalition discipline, calling on GPS leaders in May 2019 to address the role of Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) in the state government, arguing that PSB had breached pre-election undertakings given when its predecessor parties fielded candidates as BN direct nominees [7]. On environmental and forestry matters, he spoke in support of Sarawak's Forests Ordinance Amendment Bill in 2022, stating that the amendments were aimed at making Sarawak take a proactive role in addressing global warming and climate change [8]. No publicly sourced positions on federal-level policy issues were found within the allowlist.

Political career

1. May 2016First elected as ADUN for Pelagus under the BN-PRS banner at the 11th Sarawak state election, defeating DAP's Frankie Bendindang Manjah and an independent candidate with 3,778 votes.⛓
2. 12 June 2018PRS, together with other Sarawak-based BN parties, resolved to leave BN and form the new Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition following BN's defeat in the 14th General Election.⛓
3. 6 May 2019Speaking during the opening debate of the Sarawak State Assembly, called on GPS leaders to resolve the position of Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) in the state government, arguing PSB had violated undertakings given as BN direct candidates.⛓
4. 18 December 2021Re-elected ADUN for Pelagus at the 12th Sarawak state election under GPS-PRS, polling 2,843 votes against four other candidates including PSB's Kristoffer Nyuak Bajok (1,794 votes).⛓
5. May 2022Spoke in the Sarawak State Assembly in support of the Sarawak Forests Ordinance Amendment Bill, describing it as aimed at making Sarawak take a proactive role in addressing global warming and climate change.⛓
6. 19 October 2025Contested the PRS presidential election at the party's sixth triennial delegates' conference, receiving 154 votes but losing to Kakus assemblyman Datuk Seri John Sikie Tayai who secured 186 votes.⛓

Election history

• 2021PelagusWon36%⛓
• 2016PelagusWon⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsWilson Nyabong Ijang has won the Pelagus state seat at two consecutive Sarawak state elections (2016, 2021), each time under a different coalition banner (BN then GPS), and has served without interruption as Pelagus ADUN since 2016. He received 154 of 340 votes cast at the October 2025 PRS presidential election, finishing as runner-up to Datuk Seri John Sikie Tayai.⛓
• ExpertAccording to Free Malaysia Today (September 2025), citing political analysts James Chin and Jayum Jawan, Wilson Nyabong was described as a 'two-term Pelagus assemblyman' who was 'struggling to secure the required nominations' ahead of the PRS presidential contest, with analysts noting no PRS contender had emerged to match the political pedigree of the party's late founder James Masing.⛓
• GovernmentAs a GPS-PRS assemblyman, Wilson Nyabong has consistently aligned with GPS coalition positions in the Sarawak State Assembly, including supporting the Sarawak Forests Ordinance Amendment Bill in 2022 and defending GPS coalition boundaries against PSB in 2019.⛓