By Ling Hui
KUCHING, Jan 16: Opposition parties Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB), Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) and Sarawak People’s Aspiration Party (Aspirasi) could have been Gabungan Parti Sarawak’s (GPS) strategy to split votes for Democratic Action Party (DAP) during the 12th Sarawak State Election (PRN12).
Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen said the combined votes for PSB, PBK and Aspirasi in the last State election had surpassed the vote difference between GPS and DAP in the five constituencies DAP had failed to retain.
Looking back at the results of PRN12, Chong admitted Sarawak DAP’s defeat but argued low voter turnout and vote-splitting among the opposition as direct contributing factors to these losses.
“The combined votes of PSB, PBK and Aspirasi in all these five constituencies were a lot more than the majorities (sic) won by GPS over our DAP candidates in the respective constituencies.
“These opposition parties could be genuine opposition parties. They could also be the strategy of the GPS to split our votes. Time will reveal the truth,” he said during DAP’s State Ordinary Convention 2022 at a local mall here today.
Before PRN12, DAP held seven Chinese majority seats namely Kota Sentosa, Padungan, Pending, Pujut, Pelawan, Tanjong Batu, and Bukit Assek, but only managed to retain Padungan and Pending.
The five other constituencies were captured by GPS component party Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP).
Chong, who is also the Padungan assemblyman, said regardless and moving forward, DAP will work hard to regain and win back the confidence of the people by continuing to serve, increasing youth participation and stepping up publicity. — DayakDaily
