PKR: Redelineation tried-and-tested trick for BN mega victory

The Sarawak election results show that redelineation exercise is a "tried and tested trick" for BN to maintain power in Sarawak, PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar said.

This comes after BN won 72 out of 82 seats in the state assembly on yesterday, after a redelineation exercise which created 11 new constituencies.

Nurul Izzah said this pattern of mega victory after a redelineation had occured before, after the 5th Sarawak polls.

BN had then lost two-thirds majority, winning only 28 out of 48 seats, but turned things around to stake claim on 56 seats in 1991.

This after a redelineation process which created eight new seats, she said.

Similarly, BN saw an unprecendented number of seats go to the DAP and PKR in 2011, but made a comeback post redelineation at the state polls Saturday.

"Whilst Chief Minister Adenan (Satem) has much to celebrate through his popular vote of 61.8 percent and his 87.8 percent of state legislature win, it would be all the more legitimate with a fair redelienation and electoral process which accords fair treatment and coverage to all legitimate political entities," she said in a statement.

PKR retained all three of its seats in the polls, while DAP suffered a blow, winning only seven of the 12 seats it had won in the 2011 polls.

PKR and DAP clashed in six constituencies, but electoral results showed votes polled by both the parties could not collectively outdo the number of votes won by BN candidates in these constituencies.

The parties candidates also lost their deposits in other rural seats, where independent candidates far outshone PKR and DAP.

DAP publicity chief Tony Pua says the independent candidates were "nobodies" but had access to deep pockets to attract votes even without a single leaflet distributed. -Mkini