Sarawak Election: PAN will face PAS again

MIRI: Pakatan Harapan (PH) Sarawak will give all seats contested by Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) in the previous election to Parti Amanah Negara (PAN) in the coming 14th General Election.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sarawak chief Baru Bian said PH had also agreed to have on a one-on-one contest with Barisan Nasional (BN) by fielding only one candidate from any party under PH for each constituency.

“We have unanimously agreed that PH Sarawak had resolved matters pertaining to seats in Sarawak. Sarawak is the first, and we will contest according to 2013’s seat allocation. All PAS seats will be given to Parti Amanah Negara. We have also agreed to face BN one-on-one,” he disclosed.

He said this during the ‘Wave of Change’ dinner organised by PH Northern Sarawak which comprises PKR, Amanah and Democratic Action Party (DAP) at Eastwood Valley Golf and Country Club on Saturday night.

The Ba Kelalan assemblyman expressed confidence that PH can wrest Baram seat from BN in the coming general election, which he expected to be held this year.

Baram is one of the six parliamentary seats in the northern zone, along with Marudi, Lawas, Hulu Rajang, Sibuti and Miri, which PH also targeted to win.

“Though it will be a challenge, we are hoping to have an addition from the six seats. We are confident that we can win Baram. We are also focusing on two to three other seats. We hope that with the ‘wind of change’, we can take over Putrajaya,” he said.

Earlier, Hulu Rajang PKR chief Abun Sui said that he is confident that PH can win three or four seats in northern Sarawak.

He said the many unresolved issues in the rural areas would make the people swing their votes to the opposition.

Among issues unresolved by the government, he added, were on native customary rights land, poor road conditions, Bakun hydro project, the rise in price of essential goods and high cost of living.

Baram PKR chief Roland Engan, meanwhile, said the six northern Sarawak parliamentary constituencies were still lacking infrastructure.

He is confident that PH can bring extraordinary political changes and developments to the northern zone with the strong collaboration between the three opposition parties.

However, he said PH must first resolve challenges within the party before it can bring a wave of changes, among them making sure no overlapping claims to seats and convincing the people to go for change to ensure justice for all.

Sarawak PAN chairman Fidzuan Zaidi, who also spoke at the dinner, said the people should not keep quiet if they are ill-treated and not to vote for dishonest leaders.

Apart from unity among party members, he said strong support from voters would also help PH overpower BN in the election.

Meanwhile, the dinner attended by about 500 guests, was held to declare PH’s collaboration to supporters and voters in the northern zone.

The dinner was enlivened with cultural performances and a golden voice session.

Also present at the dinner were Miri MP Dr Michael Teo, Pujut assemblyman Dr Ting Tiong Choon, Selayang MP William Leong, Sandakan MP Wong Tian Fatt, PAN vice president Hasanuddin Mohd Yunus, PAN Miri chairman Yeo Kian Leong and PKR Baram chief Roland Engan.