Arrogant PKR losing rural votes, says SNAP
(The Malaysian Insider) – The Sarawak National Party (SNAP) continued its PKR spat today, accusing it of a showy and arrogant campaign — therefore failing to reach rural natives that both parties are vying for in the April 16 Sarawak polls.
Both parties are in three-cornered fights in a number of seats after talks broke down, leading state PKR chief Baru Bian to ask SNAP to withdraw its candidates and de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to say SNAP would split support for the opposition.
“If only PKR would look down from their lofty gaze, they will also see that a number of their candidates have barely made a dent in the thinking of these voters,” secretary-general Stanley Jugol said.
“The call by Baru Bian for SNAP to withdraw its candidates is clearly impertinent and reflects some level of desperation in his dream to be chief minister,” he added.
He said in a press statement that “SNAP has refrained from calling for these PKR candidates to withdraw, out of respect to the voters who, in the final analysis, will decide whom to vote for among the names on their ballot papers.”
The two parties had earlier failed to come to an agreement over seat allocation for Dayak-majority seats, resulting in 26 overlaps for the vote that will elect 71 assemblymen.
Baru was reported to have said that SNAP candidates were struggling and should withdraw to support Pakatan Rakyat (PR) candidates.
But SNAP took aim today at what it called a “dog and pony show” and “ostentatious spending” by PKR.
“SNAP does not believe in wasting a lot of money in the nomination day ‘dog and pony show’ where people are paid to show their support in a vociferous manner. SNAP has in every constituency it contested a disciplined official delegation to accompany our candidate.
“SNAP also does not believe in ostentatious spending on election peripherals such as flags, buntings and billboards in the areas we contest which are mostly economically deprived,” Jugol said.
