KUCHING, April 22 — Sarawak PKR unveiled today a list of 35 candidates for the coming state polls and said a further five names will be revealed sometime before next Monday’s nominations.
State PKR chief Baru Bian told reporters that his party intends to field candidates in 40 seats for the polls, and that discussions with the DAP on the remaining five seats were still ongoing.
Baru’s announcement appears to confirm talk that PKR does not intend to adhere to a previous agreement struck between the party’s national leadership and the DAP regarding seat distribution.
“As I have said before, we are going to contest 40 seats in this election and I have great confidence we can take the five seats (from the DAP),” he said.
The five seats are believed to be Bukit Semuja, Simanggang, Mambong, Mulu and Murum.
Yesterday, Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen named the five seats on his party’s list of candidates.
“You see as a rural-based party we are contesting the rural seats,” he said.
Baru, who will be defending his Ba’Kelalan seat, also expressed confidence that PKR could double or even triple the three seats it won in the previous 2011 state polls.
“We have been working hard on the ground and the people are responsive to us,” he said.
According to Baru, of the 35 candidates named today for PKR, 24 are fresh faces.
“Our candidates are a mixtures of all the races in Sarawak and they come from various backgrounds and qualifications,” he said.
Apart from Baru, Krian and Batu Lintang incumbents Ali Binju and See Chee How will also be defending their respective seats.
Malay Mail Online understands that Pakatan Harapan’s national leaders had earlier this month reached an agreement on seat distribution among their member parties to ensure there would be no overlapping contests during the May 7 polls.
But Baru later expressed dissatisfaction and said in the media that PKR’s Sarawak chapter would exercise its veto power to prevent interference from the pact’s peninsula-based leaders.
Earlier today, PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, who is believed to be among the leaders who struck the initial agreement, told a press conference that the party’s Sarawak chapter will have the final say on the matter.
