Form pact to stand better chance at winning seats in the Sarawak election, local opposition parties told

(Malay Mail Online) – Sarawak opposition parties must immediately hold talks on seat allocations and form an electoral pact for the upcoming state election if they are serious about winning any seats, a group said today.

Sarawak For Sarawak (S4S) civil society leader Peter John Jaban also said that the state opposition must have a joint manifesto for the upcoming state poll.

“If they are serious about contesting in the elections, they should hold talks on seat allocations and then form an election pact,” he told Malay Mail Online when responding to statements by State Reform Party (Star), Sarawak Workers Party (SWP) and Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS Baru) that they would contesting on their own in the state elections.

“They must also have joint election manifesto containing their pledges to fight for the rights of all Sarawakians as provided for under the Malaysia Agreement signed in 1963,” said Jaban, who led a mass rally demanding for the restoration of Sarawak’s rights including education, health and internal security from the federal government last year.

Jaban said “weak” local opposition parties stand little chance of winning any seats against the Barisan Nasional and the Pakatan Harapan coalitions since they would be also be facing each other in the elections.

“They can combine their political strength by forming an election pact,” he said, adding that they must pick a leader who could lead the pact in the election.

Jaban said PH consisting of DAP, PKR and Amanah cannot be fully trusted should they have enough seats to form the state government after the elections.

“The choice of who should be the chief minister and members of his state cabinet will still be subjected to the control of their leaders from Peninsular Malaysia,” he said, adding that he is not sure whether they can take care of the interests of Sarawakians should they come to power.

On Feb 5, Star, SWP and PBDS Baru said they would go on their separate ways in the election.

Star treasurer general Lina Soo had said Star had extended an invitation to all local opposition parties to form a pact, but they were not interested while PBDS Baru election director Cobbold John Lusoi said his party had no intention to form an alliance with other parties.