Parti Keadilan Rakyat(Keadilan) will only focus on Malay/Muslim and Chinese-majority seats in the parliamentary elections in Sarawak, according to its state liaison chief Hafsah Harun.

"It's better to leave the Sarawak National Party (Snap) and the State Reform Party (Star) to concentrate on Dayak-majority seats and for us to support them," she added.

The former Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu Sarawak (PBB) Wanita chief and former state minister during the 1970s and 1980s, told malaysiakini that the party has decided to contest but did not reveal the number of seats.

"We are still discussing (among ourselves and with other parties). We want to avoid a split in the opposition vote to take on the Barisan Nasional (BN)," she said.

Keadilan is widely expected to field candidates in two of PBB's bastions Santubong and Petra Jaya in Kuching and possibly Batang Sadong as well as Miri and Sarikei.

Snap's hope

DAP has offered not to contest in Miri and Sarikei - two strongholds of the Sarawak United People's Party (Supp) - in exchange that the party does not face any contest in other major urban seats, namely Kuching, Lanang, Sibu and Bintulu.

Meanwhile, a Snap leader said the party is hoping the Election Commission, after studying the letters from the Registrar of Societies (ROS), will allow the party to field candidates under its name and party symbol. The commission will make its decision known by today or tomorrow.

Star president Dr Patau Rubis has said that if Snap fails to get the approval, then its candidates can contest under his party's banner.

A total of 28 parliamentary seats are up for grabs in Sarawak. Sarawak state elections were held in 2001 and are not due until 2006.

Snap, a BN component party, was de-registered following a leadership crisis and the matter is now pending in court, with a stay of execution being granted.