'DAP claims in the dark about Pakatan meeting'
Sarawak DAP denied that it was invited to Sarawak Pakatan Rakyat’s meeting to discuss among others the allocation of seats as well as overlapping of claims of seats for the coming state election.
Sarawak DAP denied that it was invited to Sarawak Pakatan Rakyat’s meeting to discuss among others the allocation of seats as well as overlapping of claims of seats for the coming state election.
“I have not received any notice of meeting nor am I informed to attend the meeting,” said state DAP secretary Alan Ling last night.
“We are kept in the dark,” he said when asked to comment on the allegations by state PAS commissioner Adam Ahid and Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian that DAP was absent in the meeting.
Sarawak DAP chairperson Chong Chieng Jen ( right ) said that he was not aware of the meeting.
“What meeting are you talking about? I am in Kuala Lumpur attending Parliament meeting,” he said to Malaysiakini .
DAP is a member of Sarawak Pakatan together with PKR and PAS.
The coalition was formed in 2010 to strengthen the opposition’s resources against the might of the state Barisan Nasional led by Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB).
Of late, DAP has threatened to quit the Pakatan over the unclear stand of the state PKR and state PAS on hudud which PAS national wanted to implement in Malaysia.
DAP also accused PKR of being too greedy in wanting to contest in 51 seats.
Meanwhile, Baru said that he was deeply disappointed with DAP which failed to turn up for the meeting which among others discussed the seat allocation.
“We don’t know why (DAP failed to attend) except to guess it was their decision on our purported failure to make our stand on hudud which is a lame excuse and unfounded,” said Baru.
On DAP’s allegation that PKR wanted 50 seats, he said: “We were still negotiating and I was surprised that DAP disclosed it to the media what we discussed internally.
“That was only our second meeting, and the 50 seats we wanted to stand in were the seats where we stood in 2011. So it was just a starting point for negotiation.
“So the allegation of being greedy is not true,” said Baru, who is the Ba’Kelalan assemblyperson.
He believed that PR must stay united as it is the wish of the rakyat which want to see a strong alternative coalition.
Adam who chaired the meeting said that DAP did not give any reason why it was absent from the meeting.
“You have to ask them why they did not attend the meeting,” he said at a media conference yesterday.
A political observer said that the absence of Sarawak DAP in the meeting yesterday afternoon could see the beginning of the break-up of the coalition in the state.
“It could lead to the three parties fighting among themselves while at the same time fighting against BN in a number of urban and rural constituencies,” said the political observer.
One of the seats is Batu Lintang which is currently held by Sarawak PKR vice-chairperson See Chee How ( right ), and another seat is Padungan currently held by Sarawak DAP youth chief Wong King Wei.
Batu Lintang which was initially ‘owned’ by DAP was given to PKR to contest in the 2011 state election in exchange with Padungan which had been represented by PKR through Dominique Ng.
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