Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) is eyeing 23 seats in the Sarawak election next month and the party is confident of winning five of them.

Party vice-president Mohd Azmin Ali said the seats and the candidates have been identified and approved by the party.

"Of the 23 seats, 13 are Malay-majority ones, seven Dayak-majority, two Chinese-majority and one Melanau-majority seat," he said. However, he declined to name the constituencies and the candidates.

Azmin told malaysiakini that feedback from the ground was good and "the party is confident of putting up a strong challenge in certain seats which saw three-cornered contests in the 2001 election".

The opposition, he said, would fare better this time as the opposition parties have worked hard to form a united force against the Barisan Nasional led by Abdul Taib Mahmud, chief minister of Sarawak for 25 years.

PKR has formed an alliance with Sarawak National Party (Snap) and the yet-to-be-registered Malaysian Dayak Congress (MDC) called Barisan Bersatu Sarawak (BBS).

"Under BBS, we have not only agreed on the distribution of seats but also drafted a common manifesto which we launched a month ago," he said

Determined opposition

According to Azmin, BBS will also be cooperating with other opposition parties DAP, PAS and State Reform Party (Star).

"Our main aim is to engage the BN in straight fights and I think we will succeed because all seem to be agreeable to the seat distribution.

"It will not be easy for the BN this time. In fact, the opposition intends to field candidates in all 71 seats to ensure that the BN will not win a single seat uncontested... that's how determined we are."

Azmin said one major issue which the people of Sarawak were most unhappy about is land and they have openly voiced dissatisfaction on NCR (native customary rights) lands.

He said the warm reception accorded PKR leaders among the Iban, Orang Ulu and Bidayuh during their visits is a positive reflection for the party.

"In the recent months, the Dayaks have allowed PKR leaders to campaign in their longhouses. This has never happened before. I could feel the people's support when I was there. In fact the local politicians have also recognised the inroads made by PKR in Sarawak so much so that a district officer created a fuss over my recent visit to several longhouses in Simunjan."

BN's internal clashes

Azmin also claimed that internal bickerings within the State BN are also 'plus-points' for the opposition.

"We are aware that PBB is seriously split. Adenan Satem was promised the chance to lead Sarawak but to date he has not been given the proper attention by the chief minister. We were informed that there are now three factions in PBB - Taib, Adenan and another one by Abang Johari."

He admitted that PKR's cooperation with PAS which has yet to announce whether it will contest in the state elections or not, may affect support from among the non-Muslims voters.

"This is one of our worries. Our adviser Anwar Ibrahim has conveyed our worries to PAS leaders last week. I appreciate the understanding extended by PAS leaders on this issue. We are still trying to come up with a strategy that would benefit all parties," he said.

Azmin also revealed that Anwar - who is on a lecture stint in United States and the United Kingdom - has agreed to help the opposition parties in their campaign.

He said Anwar has made a commitment to take a break from his heavy schedule overseas to help PKR and other opposition parties.

In 2001 elections, the BN won all but two of the 62 seats, losing Kidurong to DAP's Chiew Chin Sing and Meluan to Wong Judat, an independent. Wong joined the BN later.