Not for PBB alone to decide on new state seats, says Karim

PBB information chief Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah says coalition partners in GPS will collectively decide on allocation of the new state assembly seats among the four parties.

PBB information chief Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said PBB “cannot be dictating everything” but the smaller parties must also be practical. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 Coalition partners of the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak will collectively decide on allocations of the 17 new Sarawak state assembly seats, and not by Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu alone, PBB information chief Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said today.

He said fairness must guide the process among all four partners, PBB, Sarawak United Peoples’ Party, Parti Rakyat Sarawak and Progressive Democratic Party, according to Dayak Daily.

“It’s not for PBB to distribute. The government is managed by GPS, and PBB is only one of its component parties. If we put it as if PBB alone is distributing, it won’t look good because we are a coalition government,” he said.

Karim said that although PBB’s strength is recognised, fairness and openness to listen to partners should prevail. “We cannot be dictating everything to the other component parties,” he said in Kuching.

However, the smaller parties must also be practical, he said.

Karim said the seat allocation process is usually decided through discussions among the presidents of all four parties.

Karim hinted at demographics being a key factor, with Chinese-majority areas likely to be allocated to SUPP, and Malay-majority areas to PBB. “More or less like that,” he said. - FMT