Kit Siang congratulates Team Adenan, tells DAP to stay strong

(MMO) – Lim Kit Siang offered his congratulations today to Team Adenan after Barisan Nasional’s (BN) landslide victory in Sarawak, conceding defeat for DAP, whose candidates failed to defend the party’s seat numbers in the state legislative assembly.

The DAP adviser said his party now needs to move past the crushing defeat that saw its numbers in the Sarawak assembly reduced by five seats, and not cry over spilt milk as the fight is far from over.

“The problem in life’s struggle is not falling down but the ability to stand up after a fall, however big the fall, and to continue the battle for justice, freedom and human empowerment.

“Despite our disappointment and setbacks, DAP will not be deflected from our objective to elect a full slate of Chinese, Dayak and Malay state assembly representatives in the Sarawak State Assembly,” he said in a statement.

Lim noted that it had taken Sarawak DAP 18 years to get its first elected representative in the state legislative assembly and said the party was prepared for the long haul to achieve the next target — forming a new Sarawak government.

He noted also that yesterday’s voter turnout had been less than satisfactory, at just 70.1 per cent, unlike the 76.3 per cent in the 2013 parliamentary polls, and said DAP could bemoan that if more had cast their ballots, they would have retained the 12 seats it won five years ago.

Lim added that it was possibly due to gerrymandering that BN did as well as it did, sweeping up 72 of the 82 seats up for contest.

But the Gelang Patah MP urged his party not to lose hope.

“Be that as it may, as we are committed to political change throughout the democratic process, we must be prepared to face victories and defeats through the ballot box,” he said.

“Finally, let me congratulate Adenan for his re-election and appointment as Sarawak chief minister for the next five years, and his promise of Adenan’s Team and Adenan’s Way instead of Najib’s Team and Najib’s Way,” he added, referring to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

DAP suffered crippling losses yesterday during the 11th Sarawak polls, winning only seven of the 31 seats it contested, five fewer than the 12 it secured in the last state polls.

Its partner in Pakatan Harapan, PKR, went home with the same three seats it won in the previous polls while Amanah failed to secure a single seat.

BN, on the other hand, soared to an easy victory, taking 72 seats out of 82, more seats even than the 71 that made up the state legislative assembly five years ago.