Analyst: PKR, DAP are 'vote splitters' for BN in five rural seats

comments     Alyaa Alhadjri     Published     Updated

S'WAK POLLS While some quarters have predicted that Pakatan Harapan is facing serious trouble following clashes between PKR and DAP candidates after nominations for the Sarawak state election closed yesterday, one analyst says this could be a strategy of the two parties to split more votes against BN candidates.

In particular, political analyst Ahmad Atory Hussain referred to five rural Dayak-majority seats - Mulu, Murum, Simanggang, Ngemah and Mambong - where PKR and DAP candidates are caught in multi-cornered fights against BN.

“Of course, each party has its own ego and they all think their candidates can win. But I see them (PKR and DAP) as being vote splitters (against BN candidates),” Atory told Malaysiakini .

“It is one way to not allow BN a free pass (with an easy win),” he said, attributing the possible scenario to Sarawak Chief Minister Adenan Satem’s current popularity, compared with that of Sarawak governor Abdul Taib Mahmud as chief minister during the 2011 state election.

“Adenan has been addressing quite a few of the local issues in Sarawak. It would be quite difficult for Pakatan Harapan candidates to go up against BN based on local issues,” he noted.

Among others, Atory ( photo ) cited Adenan’s move against illegal logging in several rural areas as just one of the matters that he had addressed.

BN’s handling of local issues, he argued, was the reason for Pakatan Harapan leaders from the peninsula to campaign on national issues, such as troubled state-investment fund 1MDB, and for Adenan to bar them from entering the state until after election is over.

Adenan has dared the opposition parties, particularly DAP, to challenge BN only on Sarawakian issues.

At the same time, Atory said, it would be possible for Pakatan Harapan’s strategy to backfire, if the coalition only managed to split votes among its own supporters but failed to reduce the majorities obtained by BN candidates.

Little impact at federal level

In noting that there were minimal clashes between PKR, DAP and PAS as the then Pakatan Rakyat opposition pact during the 13th general elections, Atory said he believes the situation in Sarawak today will have little impact on the federal opposition.

“The clashes have been expected in the current situation (in Sarawak).

“There may be differences of opinions between them (PKR and DAP) in the state, but I believe this will not affect the relationship at federal level,” he said.

PKR deputy president Azmin Ali said yesterday said he was given the mandate by party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to "resolve" the overlaps.

Azmin then instructed Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian to issue authorisation letters to the five candidates.

Aside from the five rural seats, PKR and DAP are also in a five-cornered contest for Batu Kitang, an urban Chinese-majority seat in Kuching.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the party is contesting Batu Kitang in retaliation to PKR's decision to renege on the agreement that the DAP would contest the other five seats.



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