Fresh from its electoral success in last week's state election, the DAP is now targeting to contest eight native majority seats in southern Sarawak in the next round slated for 2016.

They are Satok , Tupong , Bengoh , Tarat , Kedup , Opar , Tasik Biru and Balai Ringgin - all are Malay/Melanau, Iban or Bidayuh-majority seats with sizable Chinese minority.

The Malay/Melanau-majority Samariang state constituency may also come under consideration.

For the coming parliamentary elections, the DAP wants to go for the additional seats of Mas Gading, Mambong, Serian and Sri Aman, all under southern Sarawak.

Chong Chieng Jen speaking to reporters in Kuching "We may also contest in Petra Jaya," Sarawak DAP secretary Chong Chieng Jen ( right) told reporters today.

The DAP has traditionally focused on Chinese-majority seats in the urban centres.

Chong, who is in charge of the party's southern Sarawak, said he will table a proposal on the matter at the party state committee meeting tomorrow in Sibu.

Talk and talk before action

"Similarly, party leaders who are in charge of the central and northern Sarawak will also table their proposals at the meeting," he said.

In the April 16 state election, the DAP won in Pending, Padungan, Kota Sentosa, Batu Kawah, Meradong, Bukit Assek, Pelawan, Repok, Kidurong, Piasau and Pujut, but fell in Simangang, Bawang Assan and Bukit Kota.

Chong, who is also Bandar Kuching member of parliament, said his proposal to target the eight seats came in the wake admissions by Sarawak PKR leader Baru Bian that PKR had bitten off more than it could chew in the recent polls.

NONE He said Baru ( right ) had admitted that PKR, by contesting 49 out of 71 state seats, could have overstretched itself.

"He had also disclosed that PKR's party machinery was weak, there had been poor selection of polling and counting agents (PACA) and financial constraints," he said.

Chong had stated that PKR strategic director Tian Chua had hinted that the party had been assigned to contest difficult seats.

"Based on this, he (Tian Chua) said it was hard for them to win," Chong said.

He said even before the polls, the DAP had proposed taking on Balai Ringgin, but had to give way at PKR insistence.

NONE "Initially, we were asking for 18, then reduced to 16 and finally to 15," he added.

"Now that the election is over, finally PKR admits that it did not have the resources to contest in too many seats as admitted by Baru," he said.

Chong said it was rather regrettable that with limited resources, PKR still went ahead vying for 49 seats, including the areas which the DAP had set its heart on.

On the targeted eight seats, Chong said the party would set up branches there to serve the people.

"We are preparing ourselves for the next five years for the next state elections.

"If we are to win, we have to move in at least three years ahead and record a long period of service to make an impact.

"We will concentrate our energy and strength in these non-Chinese majority seats," he said.

DAP eyes Abang Johari's Satok 

Chong added that the DAP is confident of wresting Satok from PBB deputy president and State Minister of Housing and Development and Minister of Tourism and Heritage, Abang Johari Openg, because it is next to the Padungan state seat.

NONE "If we work hard enough, it would be easy for us to win in Satok.

"If you look at Satok, it is one of the smallest areas with 10,431 registered voters, but the number of voters turning out was 6,717 or 64.39 percent.

"The total number of voter turnout was less than the DAP majority in Padungan of 7,884," he said.

He joked that all it needed was for the DAP to spare some of its winning votes from Padungan and Pending to solve its problem in Satok. The DAP won Pending by a 7,598-vote majority.

"We are also confident of taking Tupong from the PBB," he said.

He said DAP had a branch in Matang serving Tupong.

Tupong and Satok, along with Samariang, come under the Petra Jaya parliamentary constituency.

He said a branch is in the process of being established in Bengoh, while another in Opar will be set up in due course.