PKR has yet to start negotiations with its opposition counterpart DAP on parliamentary seats in Sarawak, according to PRK president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

This will follow talks which are ongoing between the two parties on parliamentary seats in Peninsular Malaysia, she told a press conference at the state PKR headquarters in Kuching on Sunday.

Newly-appointed state PKR liaision committee chief Dominique Ng, who is also the state assemblyperson for Padungan, said state party leaders would be called in for such talks ' when the time comes.'

The two parties are trying to find ways to avoid contesting against each other to increase their chances of winning.

One particular constituency in Sarawak where they want to avoid such a situation is Stampin which covers three state constituencies - Batu Lintang, Kota Sentosa and Batu Kawah.

Sarawak DAP has nominated its state assemblyperson for Batu Lintang Voon Lee Shan, a lawyer, as the candidate for Stampin and PKR has picked its Stampin division chief and legal advisor See Chee How for the seat.

The incumbent is SUPP's Yong Khoon Seng, a parliamentary secretary and SUPP central working committee member. SUPP, a member of the state's ruling coalition, has confirmed that Yong, already elected four times, will defend the seat.

PKR has also decided to field a former SUPP branch leader Robert Lim as its candidate for one of the two seats in Sibu - either in Lanang against Supp's Tiong Thai King, brother of timber tycoon Tiong Hiew King, or in Bandar Sibu against SUPP Sibu deputy branch chairperson and deputy minister Robert Lau.

The party is expected to field Dr Michael Teo, a Miri-based private practitioner, as the candidate for Miri, against SUPP's Peter Chin, who is also a federal minister.

15 candidates

PKR announced recently it would field 15 candidates out of the 31 parliamentary seats in the next general elections, expected in next February. SUPP will contest in seven seats, mostly Chinese-majority seats.

Sarawak separates parliamentary elections from state elections. The last state elections was held in May 2006.

Ng told reporters he was confident the two parties could reach some agreement on the seats.

Meanwhile, Wan Azizah disclosed soon after arriving in Kunching on Sunday that she would be visiting several areas including Sri Aman, Betong, Debak, Julau and Sibu during this trip to shore up support for the party.

She said de facto party leader Anwar Ibrahim would be in Sarawak on Aug 13 as part of the party's preparations for the next elections.