Former deputy prime minister and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to visit Sarawak on Nov 28 to launch an opposition pact ahead of the upcoming state election.

However, the pact will only involve the Sarawak National Party (Snap) and PKR as state DAP chief Wong Ho Leng said his party has opted out of the opposition coalition.

DAP, the party which has the opposition's sole state seat, has taken pains to disassociate itself from PKR for its links to Islamic party PAS.

"But we're all for cooperation among all opposition parties," Wong told malaysiakini today.

Meanwhile, state PKR liaison chief Wan Zainal Abidin said he was aware that DAP might not attend the Nov 28 meeting.

Malaysiakini learnt that PAS, which does not have a foothold in Sarawak, has been invited by the organisers 'as a matter of courtesy' but that it too might not attend the meeting.

Snap secretary-general Edmund Stanley Jugol said that he expected opposition State Reform Party (Star) leader Dr Patau Rubis to attend the launch of the opposition pact as he is considered a Snap member. Patau ran under Snap ticket in the last state election in 2001.

The pro-tem committee and supporters of the Malaysian Dayak Congress (MDC), which is awaiting approval of its application to the Registrar of Societies for registration, will also attend the meeting.

This new party will be led by its pro-tem leader Nicholas Bawing, who is also Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) president.

Candidates recommended by MDC will contest under Snap ticket if the party's application has still not been approved by the time the state elections are held.

Iban longhouse

Wan Zainal said Anwar's two-day programme will include a visit to an Iban longhouse in Sri Aman division and the former top politician will be addressing Chinese and Malay audiences in Kuching.

Malaysiakini understands that Anwar had requested a visit to an Iban longhouse to look at the problems faced by the Dayaks regarding their native customary land rights , which is affected by plantation and logging activities.

The visit is largely seen to give a boost to the largely bumiputera opposition groups - Snap and PKR.

The Snap-PKR opposition alliance are expected to contest in about 40 seats out of the total of 71 with the DAP likely to field 14 to 15 seats, mainly against the largely Chinese-based Sarawak United People's Party (Supp) - a member of the ruling coalition.

A senior state minister, Dr James Masing, who is Parti Rakyat Sarawak president, told reporters that Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud had not indicated any specific date for the state elections when he was asked by several ministers during a state cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

But Deputy Chief Minister Dr George Chan, who is Supp leader, said in Miri earlier in the week that elections would be held within the next six months.