‘Johor is Pakatan’s frontline state’

With the right strategies and candidates, Pakatan capable of winning at least 10 federal seats, with DAP winning five to six seats, says DAP chairman Karpal Singh

GEORGE TOWN: Johor, which has 26 parliamentary and 56 state seats, is the frontline battle state in Pakatan Rakyat’s quest to capture federal power, said Karpal Singh.

The DAP national chairman said it was imperative for Pakatan to make major inroads in Johor in the forthcoming general election in order capture Putrajaya.

He believes Pakatan was capable of winning at least 10 federal seats in Johor, with DAP winning five to six seats, with the right strategies and candidates.

Acknowledging that Johor was Umno and BN bastion, the senior parliamentarian indicated that Pakatan would field its strongest candidature line-up to fulfill its goal.

“No doubt Johor is the frontline state. Pakatan will field several strong candidates in Johor.

“We’ve got win more seats this time in Johor if we want to win Putrajaya,” Karpal told newsmen during a routine visit to his Bukit Gelugor parliamentary constituency here today.

To underline its intention to make a major breakthrough in the southern-most state, the DAP is scheduled to celebrate its 47th anniversary in Johor Baru on Monday (March 18).

In 2008, BN won 25 of the 26 parliamentary seats and 50 of the 56 state seats in Johor.

Under BN, Umno contested 16 parliament and 34 state seats; MCA eight and 15; MIC one and four, and Gerakan one and three.

DAP contested six federal and 12 state seats, while PAS contested nine parliament and 34 state seats. PRM contest one parliament seat in Johor Baru

Harder task in Sabah

PKR contested 10 parliament and state seats, but lost them all. Pakatan won one parliament seat in Bakri through DAP and six state seats.

DAP won the Bentayan, Mengkibol, Senai and Skundai, and PAS won Sungai Abong and Maharani state seats.

Unlike Johor, Karpal said Pakatan would face harder time to capturing more seats in Sabah and Sarawak.

Sabah has 25 federal seats while Sarawak has 31.

Based on previous results, especially in the 2011 Sarawak state election, Karpal said DAP can win up to seven parliamentary seats in Borneo states.

He forecast that the DAP, which likely to fare better than PAS and PKR, had a good chances of adding Sarikei, Bintulu and Miri to its existing Sibu and Kuching federal seats in Sarawak.

But in Sabah, Karpal was confident of winning only the Sandakan seat besides retaining the Kota Kinabalu federal seat.

On the dispute between DAP and PKR over the Ketari and Tanah Rata state seats in Pahang, he said the Pakatan leadership will decide if the state leadership failed to resolve it.

He also called on PSM not to field its candidate for the Jelapang state seat in Perak to avoid a three-cornered fight involving DAP and BN.

He said all parties must to team up to challenge BN in straight fights in all seats to boost Pakatan’s chances of capturing Putrajaya