MIRI – Opposition Dayak-based outfit Parti Bangsa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) insists that it will contest in Dayak-majority seats in the upcoming 15th general election (GE15) – whether there is an opposition pact or not.
Even if Sarawak DAP forges an alliance with other opposition parties, PBDS has its traditional seats where it will field candidates, said Sawing Kedit, the party’s vice-president.
“It is a good idea for Sarawak DAP to want to forge an opposition alliance,” he said, referring to state DAP chairman Chong Chien Jen’s statement that his party wants to cooperate with other opposition parties to fight the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).
“However, for PBDS, we have our traditional seats. We have our policies on which seats we will contest.
“We are willing to discuss but we will field our candidates for GE15 in our seats,” he said in a statement today.
Kedit said PBDS is already getting itself ready for GE15 and looking at its potential candidates for the state.
PBDS is the second opposition party in Sarawak to assert that its internal affairs will take greater importance even though the proposed opposition alliance is vital.
Sarawak PKR has said that it is firstly focussing on internal rebuilding for its party elections.
After that, it will consider the proposed plan by Sarawak DAP to forge an alliance of all opposition parties in Sarawak.
State PKR vice-chairman Roland Engan had said last week that his party agrees that it is important to have a united front to take on the Gabungan Parti Sarawak ruling government.
“We in PKR are focussing on the party elections first,” he said. “Then we can look at working with other opposition parties for the coming general election.”
Chong had said earlier this week that DAP wants to see the alliance become a reality soon so that they can be a united front.
The state DAP has thus formed a special committee to look into this aim of cooperating with all the other opposition political entities, he said on Tuesday when chairing a state-level DAP central leadership meeting in Sibu town.
“We are setting up a committee towards forming cooperation with all opposition parties in Sarawak,” he said.
“We are open and willing to work with all those who aspire to fight against the Barisan Nasional, Perikatan Nasional and Gabungan Parti Sarawak.”
Sarawak has 31 parliamentary constituencies, with GPS in control of 19, the opposition 11, with one seat held by an independent.
The independent is Sri Aman MP Masir Kujat who quit Parti Sarawak Bersatu last month to declare support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob of BN. Masir has yet to join any party. – The Vibes, April 9, 2022
