KUCHING, Nov 16 — Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen today said Pakatan Harapan (PH) has a very good chance of forming the next federal government if it can win at least 10 parliamentary seats in the state.
He said in the best-case scenario, PH needs 12 seats combined from Sarawak and Sabah, and in the worst case, 22 seats from the two Borneo states.
“According to the surveys done by research institutions, PH is likely to win between 90 and 100 seats in peninsular Malaysia. Barisan Nasional is likely to win between 32 and 42 seats and Perikatan Nasional is likely to win 42 and 52 seats,” Chong told reporters here this morning.
Chong, who is defending his Stampin parliamentary seat, said for PH to win 22 seats may seem an insurmountable task, but to win 12 seats from the two Borneo states is very possible.
He said he does not expect the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) to join with PH to form the federal government, saying that it is asking for the impossible.
He said Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg and caretaker prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakobi have openly announced that they would co-operate with each other to form the federal government after the elections.
He said in March 2020 after the 'Sheraton Move' and in August 2021 after Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had stepped down as prime minister, GPS again had shown its loyalty to Umno by joining BN, Bersatu and PAS to form federal government.
Chong, who is also Sarawak PH chairman, urged Sarawakian voters not to give Umno a lifeline in the general election.
“The question that every Sarawak voter must ask before they vote on November 19 is whether we want Umno back in power,” he said, adding that a vote for GPS is a vote for Umno.
