Sarawak DAP says may renege on seat deal if PKR does
(MMO) – Tensions are rising in Sarawak ahead of next week’s nominations for the May 7 polls as Pakatan Harapan partners DAP and PKR continue to disagree over seat distribution.
Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen told Malay Mail Online that if PKR decides to renege on the deal its national leadership struck on seat allocations, his party may consider doing the same.
“Depends. If they (PKR) don’t abide by the agreement, then we’ll see how it goes.
“We may even contest in Batu Kitang,” he told Malay Mail Online in a recent phone interview when asked if DAP will stick by the agreement between party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali.
The DAP lawmaker explained that Batu Kitang is a new constituency that had been carved out from Kota Sentosa, which is Chong’s constituency, as well as neighbouring Batu Kawah, which is also currently under DAP.
This, he said, makes the area an opposition stronghold.
During seat allocation talks, however, it was agreed that PKR would contest in Batu Kitang, Chong said.
“And even that seat we were willing to give it up. We did it so that we can have a package deal and Azmin has gladly accepted it. And now because internal affairs, they’re (PKR) going back on the agreement,” he claimed.
Chong also said that it would be “selfish” and “undisciplined” of PKR if the party was to renege on the seat deal, when the DAP had agreed to a compromise for the sake of its coalition partners.
“During negotiations, some of our members who were supposed to be candidates for the seats we’ve given up are also disappointed but they abide by the agreement and quickly recovered and now they’re helping out in other areas.
“They gave up their seats for the bigger picture and greater cooperation. We didn’t get it all,” he said.
Azmin and other PKR’s top leaders have so far declined to divulge details on developments on their end regarding the party’s seat ambitions. The PKR deputy president is expected to be in Kuching today and talk is that he will reveal the party’s seat list tomorrow.
Yesterday when approached on the matter, Azmin said that negotiations were still ongoing.
This was in spite of the fact that the DAP had only earlier in the day announced its candidates list for 30 seats.
When contacted for comments after the candidates announcement, Chong insisted to Malay Mail Online that PKR should stick to the original agreement.
“At this point, we insist that PKR stick to the agreement. It was discussed and agreed upon and they should stand by it,” he said.
Previous reports have suggested that PKR intends to field candidates in 40 seats, while Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) will contest in 13 seats.
According to a previous announcement of the seats that the DAP is eyeing, there may be clashes with PKR in at least five seats.
They are Dayak-majority Tasik Biru, Mambong, Simanggang, Bukit Semuja and Mulu.
Sarawak will vote on May 7. There will be 82 seats up for contest this year, an increase of 11 from the 71 seats contested in the 2011 state polls.
In the 2011 polls, DAP won the lion’s share of seats for the federal opposition, snapping up 12 of the 15 seats it contested while PKR took just three of the 45 seats it vied for.
