S'wak only the beginning: Anwar
Turning defeat into victory, Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim today said the Pakatan Rakyat’s showing at the Sarawak poll last Saturday should not be regarded as the culmination of the change of voter sentiments it has brought to the state but only a measure of things to come.
“The result is not the end. Be sure that it is only the beginning of the clamour for change that is exact and comprehensive,” said the PKR de facto leader in a statement issued this morning.
The remarks follow a weekend of disappointment after the opposition coalition won only 15 of the 69 seats that it contested in Sarawak .
The lion’s share of the victories went to DAP, which garnered 12 of the 15 seats in which it fielded candidates. Anwar’s party fielded candidates in 49 seats, but managed to win only in Ba’kelalan, Krian and Batu Lintang.
Though the results of Saturday’s poll were not as hoped, Anwar said Pakatan had succeeded in “planting the seeds” of a politics that was far removed from the parochialism of race-based politics, injustice and dictatorship.
Anwar also called for Sarawakians who want “change” and love “justice” to step up efforts and not give up in working towards the toppling of the allegedly corrupt state government in the next elections.
“The Sarawak election of 2011 proves that the struggle for justice regardless of race or faith is not an easy task, but neither is it impossible,” he said.
“The reality that could not be denied throughout the campaigning period is that (we were faced with) limited resources while resolved to campaign cleanly.
“ (Yet) Pakatan Rakyat succeeded in breaking through to the interiors which have always been seen as the strongholds of the Barisan Nasional,” said Anwar, citing allegations of vote-buying in Dudong, Bawang Assan and Meradong and the disputed vote-count in Senadin.
Meanwhile, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang (
right
) said the state election serves as an opportunity for the Islamist party to reflect on matters of tactics and strategy in approaching.
PAS lost in all five seats fielded, although some of these saw it reducing the majority won by BN compared to the previous state election of 2006.
“Obviously there are many things that we can improve on in order to be more effective and able to demolish the barriers that still stand in the minds of our voters.
“But whatever it is, our party workers should not feeled weakened and discouraged by the results,” said the PAS leader.
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