Anwar Ibrahim described the DAP victory in Sibu as “sweet”, but remains cautiously optimistic about Pakatan Rakyat’s chances of expanding its gains in Sarawak.

“Sibu is a very, very tough seat. Never has a DAP candidate ever won in Sibu,” said the PKR de facto leader.

Calling the electorate “mature” and “ready for change”, he said the results yesterday are a sure sign that BN federal leaders can no longer assume that the Sarawak public is parochial.

NONE “That is only good if they want to underestimate the wisdom of the masses,” he told a press conference after meeting a delegate of Indonesian investors in Selangor today.

“For decades, voters in the rural Malay, Iban and Melanau heartlands had never even thought of voting for a Chinese DAP candidate. But this election results shows that they are opening up their minds and are starting to accept DAP’s manifesto.”

Lawyer Wong Ho Leng won the parliamentary seat by a majority of 398 votes yesterday against main rival Robert Lau Hui Yew of BN, whose late cousin been the five-term MP for the constituency.

While preliminary results showed that DAP managed to garner 70 percent of the Chinese vote, the party also recorded an increase of support with the Melanau electorate, something nearly unheard of previously.

“It shows that we are already making inroads in the bumiputera communities which is something we didn’t really expect, with all the logistic barriers,” said Anwar.

However, he refused to be overconfident about Pakatan’s chances in the upcoming state election, due by next year.

sibu by election 080510 wong ho leng lim kit siang and lim guan eng “We are optimistic now, but we have to be realistic. I have spoken to (DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng) and (party parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang) about the developments, but it is still too early to tell,” he said.

Anwar was also cautious in responding when asked if he thinks the win was unexpected.

“I think it was more unexpected for BN, PBB and SUPP to lose,” he said.

Pakatan currently has nine assemblypersons, six of them from DAP, in the Sarawak state assembly of 72 seats.

‘Selangor is different’

Anwar, also the Selangor economic adviser, had earlier welcomed an 11-member delegation of businessmen from Indonesia to the State Investment Centre in Shah Alam.

NONE Delegation head Rahmat Ismail (right in photo) said the group is keen to do business with the Selangor government in opening up garment stores and investing in green industries, food and transportation.

“Earlier, Indonesian businessmen were scared to invest in Malaysia because of the psychological barrier,” he said, recounting reports of expatriates and professionals having been arrested by Rela personnel for not having their passports.

“But I see that Selangor is different from the rest of the country, and I’m sure that the negative outlook is just based on isolated incidents.”