After giving up Krian, Ali Biju wants GPS to give Bersatu his Parliament seat

SARAWAK POLLS | Bersatu's Ali Biju hopes GPS will let Bersatu defend his Saratok Parliament seat in the 15th general election.

This is to reciprocate his surrendering of the Krian state seat where he is the incumbent.

"This is what we hope for, we sacrificed this time to give way to GPS in Krian, so we hope in GE15 that GPS also gives way to Bersatu (in Saratok).

"This is what we ask for because the sacrifice is on both parties," he told reporters tonight.

He was speaking at a press conference at his Saratok service centre, together with Bersatu's Azmin Ali and Rashid Hasnon.

Ali had previously entered the fray for the Krian seat - which he has held since 2011 - as an independent, sparking tensions between GPS and Bersatu.

This as Bersatu had decided not to contest in the Sarawak elections.

He relented yesterday and withdrew from the race, although his name will still appear on the ballot slip as he had missed the withdrawal deadline.

Under Section 11(7) of the Elections Regulation, a candidate can withdraw in writing to the returning officer before noon a day after being nominated.

Asked what would happen if he came out as the winner despite withdrawing, Ali dismissed this as speculation.

Instead, he said he would begin efforts to campaign for GPS tomorrow and tell voters not to vote for him.

At the same time, he hoped that any comments that could hurt either side would cease.

Meanwhile, Azmin thanked Ali for making a sacrifice in order to maintain ties between Bersatu and GPS.

"We all know that when a change of government took place in 2020, GPS played a big role to join forces to form a new federal government.

"This time around there were discussions and an understanding between (Bersatu president) Muhyiddin Yassin and (GPS chairperson) Abang Johari Openg on the bigger framework of national politics.

"This is important to ensure smooth cooperation between federal and state governments," the international trade and industry minister said. - Mkini