The Democratic Action Party (DAP) is confident it will do better in the coming Sarawak state election expected before September next year.

"We have one seat (Kidurong).We hope to do better than that and we are confident of doing so," its state chairperson Wong Ho Leng told malaysiakini today.

DAP has identified 13 state seats to contest out of the total 70. But Wong is unfazed by the 'unlucky' number of 13.

"We are not superstitious of numbers. I believe that if we work harder from now on in some areas, we will fare well. If we serve the constituencies well, we will be rewarded. We have been working hard in Kuching, Sibu and Bintulu."

DAP has agreed to give way to Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) in two state seats Padungan and Batu Kawah as part of an agreement reached between the two parties in the last elections to avoid splitting the votes.

Wong, a lawyer and a former state assemblyperson, also said he could not see any form of an opposition pact "at this moment in time."

"So far, the DAP is the only active opposition party in Sarawak," he added. "PKR is almost unheard of now, with its leaders going into hibernation which I hope won't be for long."

Clear stand

He also ruled out any pact with the opposition State Reform Party (Star) led by a former state assistant minister Dr Patau Rubis.

Stating that the DAP's stance is clear, Wong stressed that it was impossible to have a pact with any party keen to work with PAS.

Asked why a stronger opposition voice was needed, the Sarawak DAP chief stated the obvious: "The state government (of Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud) is too strong."

"The state administration is still full of red tape. Corruption is as rampant as before. I don't see any improvement. The voice of the majority are not heard.'

"Native customary land (NCL) legislation had been gazetted but I wonder how much land has been surveyed. How many surveyors know how to do a proper job? How many of them actually know the Iban adat (customs) in order to do a proper job?"

Wong added that expiring land leases - 'the cream of the issue' - and the related renewal rates on the shoulders of landowners was a major worry.