Sarawak setback: PKR cites unfair polls, DAP laments unjust fate

 

PKR has blamed the unfair playing field for its poor performance in the Sarawak polls.

Sarawak PKR claimed GPS of engaging in voter suppression by pushing for the state polls before the implementation of new voting age of 18, down from 21, which would have included 150,000 new young voters.

"Alongside that, over half a million additional voters that were recently added to the electoral roll were unable to vote as well as these changes are not due to be implemented till early 2022.

"The Electoral Commission also failed to implement postal votes, despite nearly 250,000 Sarawakians living in West Malaysia, the majority of whom could not return to Sarawak to vote due to exorbitant air tickets.

"No price cap was implemented by the government in order to facilitate these Sarawakians journey home to vote," it said in a statement.

It also alleged vote-buying by the incumbent.

Meanwhile, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang said the party's setback was in part contributed by the low voter turnout and split opposition.

DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang

"If not for the low voter turnout – in the 2018 national election it was 77.2 percent but yesterday it was less than 60 percent - and the split in opposition votes because of a multiplicity of candidates, DAP would have won another five seats, Pujut in Miri, Pelawan and Bukit Assek in Sibu, Tanjung Batu in Bintulu and Kota Sentosa in Kuching.

"In Tanjong Batu, we lost by 23 votes, in Pelawan we lost by 100 votes and in Bukit Assek we lost by 874 votes," he said in a statement.

Lim said it was GPS's predecessor Sarawak BN which supported a constitutional amendment in 1976 which downgraded Sabah and Sarawak to mere states instead of equal regions to Peninsular Malaysia and this was only remedied in another constitutional amendment on Dec 14.

"The Sarawak general election should see the punishment of the GPS for causing Sarawakians to lose these rights for half a century, but this was not the case.

"Instead, the Pakatan Harapan parties were punished for failure to fulfil election pledges in 22 months - when they had a mandate for five years. This is clearly unjust, but life is full of such injustices," Lim said.

Lim noted that parties contesting on the platform of independence were resoundingly defeated. He congratulated Sarawak Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg for his coalition's victory.

GPS picked up 76 out of 82 seats in the Sarawak assembly, four more than the 2016 state election.

The DAP saw its seats reduced from seven to two - Padungan and Pending, while PKR which had three seats was wiped out.

Instead, PSB emerged as the main opposition, picking up four seats.

PSB had absorbed most of PKR key leaders after a split in the party.

See Chee How and Baru Bian, who left PKR for PSB, retained their respective seats in Batu Lintang and Ba'kelalan.

PSB president Wong Soon Koh also retained his Bawan Assan seat. The party's Johnichal Rayong Ngipa also wrested Engiklili from GPS. - Mkini