Sarawak DAP expects to face off against PKR in at least five constituencies during the upcoming state legislative assembly elections after seat allocation talks have broken down.
Malaysiakini understands that both parties are now laying claims to Padungan, Balai Ringin, Piasau, Senadin and Batu Kawah.
During a press conference today, Kota Sentosa state assemblyperson Chong Chieng Jen said negotiations broke down after PKR refused to give way to DAP's demand to contest 16 seats.
Contacted later, Chong (right) claims that PKR wants DAP to contest only 13 out of the total 71 seats.
“We can't take it anymore. If we don't stand our ground, we will end up as a mosquito party,” he stressed.
He said that during the final round of negotiations today, DAP said it was willing to again let go of its claim on Padungan and Senadin.
'PKR being insincere'
However, PKR is also staking claims to Balai Ringing, Piasau and Batu Kawah.
“This is too much. This is an insincere request. Such an attitude has made it impossible to continue negotiations,” he said.
Padungan is DAP's traditional proving ground located in the heart of state capital Kuching. PKR won the seat in 2006. DAP gave way following a complicated seat deal which the party considers was a major sacrifice.
Citing Batu Kawah as another example of why PKR was being unreasonable, Chong said the PKR candidate performed poorly there during the 2008 general elections.
Batu Kawah is one of three state seats which forms the Stampin parliamentary seat and which saw a three-corner fight in 2008 between Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP), DAP and PKR.
During that contest, DAP managed to secure 34 percent of the popular vote there, while PKR only managed 4 percent.
In 2006, PKR was trounced in Batu Kawah, bagging only 2,575 votes compared to SUPP's 6,755.
Chong said that there has been several rounds of seat negotiations with PKR since last year, but these fell flat and discussions have been left to the central leadership.
Fuziah: Seat talks still on
The latest round of negotiations today took place this afternoon in Kuching. DAP was represented by its deputy chairperson Tan Kok Wai and state chief Wong Ho Leng.
The PKR side was represented by deputy president Azmin Ali, vice-presidents Fuziah Salleh and Mansor Othman.
When contacted, Fuziah insisted that negotiations had not broken down and talks will be ongoing, even up to nomination day which falls on April 6.
“The number of seats which are being disputed is only a minute amount,” she said.
She said that the national leadership of both parties are committed to ensuring straight fights because their common enemy is BN.
Fuziah stressed that PKR has strong Chinese candidates who should be fielded in Chinese-majority seats as well.
“Chinese majority seats does not necessarily mean they should be contested by DAP,” she said.
Of the 18 seats which DAP is now claiming, 14 are Chinese majority seats while the rest are mixed seats. The party contested in 12 seats during the 2006 general elections.
The list of 18 seats claimed by DAP are as follow:
N9 - Padungan
N10 - Pending
N11 - Batu Lintang
N12 - Kota Sentosa
N13 - Batu Kawah
N25 - Balai Ringin
N27 - Simanggang
N39 - Repok
N40 - Meradong
N45 - Bukit Assek
N46 - Dudong
N47 - Bawang Assam
N48 - Pelawan
N59 - Kidurong
N63 - Piasau
N64 - Pujut
N65 - Senadin
N68 - Bukit Kota
Malaysiakini understands that both parties are now laying claims to Padungan, Balai Ringin, Piasau, Senadin and Batu Kawah.
During a press conference today, Kota Sentosa state assemblyperson Chong Chieng Jen said negotiations broke down after PKR refused to give way to DAP's demand to contest 16 seats.Contacted later, Chong (right) claims that PKR wants DAP to contest only 13 out of the total 71 seats.
“We can't take it anymore. If we don't stand our ground, we will end up as a mosquito party,” he stressed.
He said that during the final round of negotiations today, DAP said it was willing to again let go of its claim on Padungan and Senadin.
'PKR being insincere'
However, PKR is also staking claims to Balai Ringing, Piasau and Batu Kawah.
“This is too much. This is an insincere request. Such an attitude has made it impossible to continue negotiations,” he said.
Padungan is DAP's traditional proving ground located in the heart of state capital Kuching. PKR won the seat in 2006. DAP gave way following a complicated seat deal which the party considers was a major sacrifice.
Citing Batu Kawah as another example of why PKR was being unreasonable, Chong said the PKR candidate performed poorly there during the 2008 general elections.
Batu Kawah is one of three state seats which forms the Stampin parliamentary seat and which saw a three-corner fight in 2008 between Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP), DAP and PKR.
During that contest, DAP managed to secure 34 percent of the popular vote there, while PKR only managed 4 percent.
In 2006, PKR was trounced in Batu Kawah, bagging only 2,575 votes compared to SUPP's 6,755.
Chong said that there has been several rounds of seat negotiations with PKR since last year, but these fell flat and discussions have been left to the central leadership.
Fuziah: Seat talks still on
The latest round of negotiations today took place this afternoon in Kuching. DAP was represented by its deputy chairperson Tan Kok Wai and state chief Wong Ho Leng.
The PKR side was represented by deputy president Azmin Ali, vice-presidents Fuziah Salleh and Mansor Othman.
When contacted, Fuziah insisted that negotiations had not broken down and talks will be ongoing, even up to nomination day which falls on April 6.“The number of seats which are being disputed is only a minute amount,” she said.
She said that the national leadership of both parties are committed to ensuring straight fights because their common enemy is BN.
Fuziah stressed that PKR has strong Chinese candidates who should be fielded in Chinese-majority seats as well.
“Chinese majority seats does not necessarily mean they should be contested by DAP,” she said.
Of the 18 seats which DAP is now claiming, 14 are Chinese majority seats while the rest are mixed seats. The party contested in 12 seats during the 2006 general elections.
The list of 18 seats claimed by DAP are as follow:
N9 - Padungan
N10 - Pending
N11 - Batu Lintang
N12 - Kota Sentosa
N13 - Batu Kawah
N25 - Balai Ringin
N27 - Simanggang
N39 - Repok
N40 - Meradong
N45 - Bukit Assek
N46 - Dudong
N47 - Bawang Assam
N48 - Pelawan
N59 - Kidurong
N63 - Piasau
N64 - Pujut
N65 - Senadin
N68 - Bukit Kota
DAP is being unreasonable to claim Padungan be'coz DAP hv NEVER won the Padungan state seat, not even once so how can they claim it to be theirs. Beside PKR is the incumbent, why shouldn't they stand again?
ReplyDeleteWhatever, I have to remind Pakatan Rakyat, you guys go to elections as candidates of Pakatan Rakyat, not DAP, PKR or PAS candidates. Please sort it out amongst yourselves on the basis of who stand the highest chance to win the seats contested by looking into facts and figures, not emotional, please.
ReplyDeleteIn Pakatan Rakyat Sarawak, SNAP should take charge and not PKR, DAP or PAS...Just remember, it is a state election NOT parliament!
ReplyDeleteSNAP should be the boss in Sarawak opposition not these imported parties.
Songcha, you are right. Why those parties from malaya so busy body wanna to be the head of opposition in Sarawak state election? They should mind their own business in Malaya.
ReplyDelete