MIRI – The tussle for seats in Sarawak has already gotten hot, even before the date for the 12th state election has been announced.
State Perikatan Nasional (PN) parties Bersatu and PAS indicated their intention to contest certain seats, but their partner, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), has retorted with a big “no”.
PBB vice-president Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said all the 82 state seats are already planned to be contested by the ruling coalition of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).
GPS is made up of PBB, Sarawak United Peoples’ Party, Parti Rakyat Sarawak, and Progressive Democratic Party.
PN has been on friendly terms with GPS. It comprises Bersatu, PAS, Sabah Star, Sabah Progressive Party, and Gerakan.
“We in GPS have identified our candidates for all the 82 state seats,” he said. “There is no vacant seat for PN.
“PN should help GPS since PN is friendly to us,” Karim told reporters while attending a function in Kuching today.
Meanwhile, Sarawak PN chairman Senator Jaziri Alkaf Abdillah Suffian said in a social media posting that PN and GPS are discussing seat allocations with regard to the impending state election.
“PN will leave it to our boss Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to discuss seat allocations with GPS chairman (and Chief Minister Datuk Abang Johari Openg),” he said.
Karim, however, said GPS has no plans to give any seat to PN to contest in Sarawak.
Opposition parties Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) and Sarawak Pakatan Harapan (PH) also seem destined to cross swords after Sarawak PH chairman Chong Chieng Jen said it will be hard to work along with PSB.
“PSB has different ideologies from us, so it looks difficult to cooperate,” he said during an online dialogue in Sibu.
However, PSB presidential council member Baru Bian replied later at a function in Kuching that though PSB has identified most of its candidates for the constituencies, it can still find avenues to work with Sarawak PH.
“There is still room for cooperation,” he said. “Both have common goals to see Sarawak having a better state government.
“We can discuss further,” he said.
GPS currently controls 68 of the 82 state seats.
PSB controls six, DAP has five, and Bersatu has one. One seat is occupied by an independent, while one other seat, Pujut, is vacant after its DAP assemblyman Ting Tiong Choon was disqualified two years ago over an Australian citizenship controversy. – The Vibes, November 8, 2021
