S'WAK POLLS Sarawak PKR leader Baru Bian said the opposition component may contest up to 40 seats, and expressed confidence that it could win two more seats in May 7 elections.

"I think we have mentioned 40 we have decided on. There are a few days until nomination, I will at my own discretion and power, try my best to avoid overlapping seats. This would require both hands to act, to be able to clap. We'll see how we can avoid this," he told reporters in Kuching today.

Baru said the party would finalise the list before the nomination day on Monday, adding that the focus was on "winnable candidates".

In a meeting last week with PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the national leadership of the opposition coalition agreed not to clash on seats. The decision was subsequently vetoed by the state PKR leadership.

Wan Azizah had neither released the number of seats PKR had clashed with DAP, nor the total seats PKR initially agreed to contest. Sarawak PKR had said it wished to contest in at least 40 state constituencies.

"We hope we can maintain our three seats and add one or two to those three seats. We cannot take things for granted but we are really hopeful and pray that we can maintain our seats. Anything beyond those three seats would be a bonus for us," Baru said.

In the 2011 election, the opposition component won three seats out of the 49 it contested.

On Monday, Baru said the party may clash with DAP on up to two seats. DAP today announced it would contest 29 seats, and said it was adhering to the agreement with Wan Azizah.

Baru today declined comment on DAP.

Asked to comment on BN criticisms on the opposition coalition's inability to prevent clashes, Baru said: "We can say the same thing for BN, what with the backstabbing regarding SUPP (Sarawak United People's Party) and UPP (United People's Party), and SPDP (Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party) and Teras (Sarawak People's Energy Party)."

Baru faces criticism from its DAP partner, in particular DAP's state leader Chong Chieng Jen ( photo ), who had accused state PKR of backtracking after four rounds of seat negotiations.

There have also been attacks from both its own grassroots leaders and state BN, who accused the state opposition leadership of being a lackey to the party's leadership in Peninsular Malaysia.

In a statement yesterday, former PBB deputy information chief Peter Minos said: “Till today, DAP and PKR have not agreed on their candidates and allocation of seats. The local leaders are still waiting and adhering to their national leaders to solve their impasse. It is most likely that Sarawak DAP and PKR are also waiting for monetary assistance and election materials from their Kuala Lumpur bosses.

“So let us question this… what if the opposition wins in the upcoming state election? The answer is simple. Sarawak’s administration will be dominated by decisions and policies forged by the national leaders from Kuala Lumpur. In other words, Sarawak will be controlled by the peninsula people directly and indirectly."

Boniface leaves the party

On Sunday, state PKR vice-chairperson and Mas Gading branch chief Boniface Willy Tumek resigned, citing dissatisfaction with PKR for failing to secure a nomination for him in Tasik Biru, which will be contested by DAP.

“This despite naming me as the party’s potential candidate and despite a public poll showing PKR as having more support in Tasik Biru than DAP," he said in a statement, according to Bernama .

The national news agency quoted him saying his authority ( watikah ) to contest in the 2013 general elections was withdrawn on the eve of nomination day, also to make way for DAP to contest the Mas Gading parliamentary seat.

“Around the negotiating (for seats to contest) table, PKR can be likened to a young and small school boy trying his best to stay safe in a very hostile environment.

"In this environment, PKR's ability to contest in any seats where there is an overlapping claim from DAP is entirely at the pleasure of DAP," he was also quoted as saying by The Borneo Post today.

Baru said the party regretted Boniface's decision to leave the party.

"He has said his piece, and on behalf of the leadership I have to sympathise with him. I would like to record our appreciation for his contribution to PKR Sarawak. We really would miss him in that sense; he has demonstrated his leadership qualities and I think he is a man of integrity."

"Politics is no simple arithmetic. There may be high lofty ideals but the realities on the ground may set a change to things. We hope and pray and try our best," Baru said.

Also present at the press call was PKR vice-president Xavier Jayakumar, who is in Kuching to help launch the state party's own 'tree of justice'.

Asked on what he thought on the veto by state PKR, Jayakumar said: "We are a coalition and what we need to do is to get coalition members into the state assembly, whether it is DAP, PKR, or Amanah. We will have to work together. Only in large numbers can you make a difference in the state assembly.

"We should stop all these discussions in the seat negotiations, and hope that the best candidate will win the seat regardless of which party he is from. We need to start thinking as a unit to get better voice in the state assembly in the coming election."

With Boniface's resignation from PKR over not being allowed to contest Tasik Biru, other Dayak-majority seats that may see clashes with DAP are Mambong, Simanggang, Bukit Semuja, and Mulu.

Editor's note: Malaysiakini has wrongly reported that PKR may contest 46 seats. It should be 40 seats. We apologise for the error.