KUCHING, Nov 16 — Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) vice-president Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah believes Sarawak Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) will not be able to win any seats in the upcoming state election.
He said PKR’s prospect of securing a seat was in fact very bleak.
“I don’t give PKR any chance in this upcoming state elections. Based on my own observation, I think they will win zero seats. I may sound arrogant but looking at the present leadership of PKR Sarawak, I think they will not even secure a single seat,” he said.
PKR Sarawak secretary Joshua Jabeng had reportedly said the party would field 47 candidates for the upcoming state election after negotiations were held with Pakatan Harapan (PH) partners – Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Parti Amanah Negara.
PKR Sarawak suffered a leadership crisis after their then chairman and Selangau MP, Baru Bian, together with Puncak Borneo MP Willie Mongin and Saratok MP Ali Biju left the party, following a political crisis dubbed as ‘Sheraton Move’ that toppled the PH federal government.
On whether Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) would pose a threat to GPS in the state election, Abdul Karim said Malaysia practises parliamentary democracy and anyone could contest in the election.
“We respect PKR, PSB and all but we have been through many elections. There were always political parties that announced their intention to contest in about 40 or even all of the 82 seats but in the end, they could only win one or two seats.”
PSB has two incumbent representatives who left PKR after the ‘Sheraton Move’, namely Baru Bian (Ba Kelalan) and See Chee How (Batu Lintang).
Abdul Karim said he personally sees PSB as a splinter group of Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), and a ‘sanctuary’ for dissenters from other political parties, including PBB, PKR and Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS).
“Birds of a feature flock together. When they had problems with their own party, they flock together (by joining PSB, but with different ideologies,” he told a press conference after launching the ‘Sarawak 360 Experience’ at Kuching Old Court House yesterday.
He said one PSB member had persistently championed for native customary rights (NCR) land but now seemed to be involved with a party that is associating itself with big tycoons with logging problems.
As a result, Abdul Karim said he was optimistic that GPS incumbents would be able to secure a landslide victory in the state election, with a two-third or even a four-fifth majority in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN). — Borneo Post
