KUCHING: State Reform Party (STAR) yesterday hit out at its ‘friends’ PKR and DAP for suspecting that it would let Barisan Nasional win hands down in Mas Gading and Mambong parliamentary constituencies.
Its vice president Patrick Anek Uren said the recent statements made especially by state DAP secretary Chong Chieng Jen were condescending, unwarranted and of very bad taste.
He was referring to a national tabloid news report which quoted Chong as saying if Pakatan Rakyat did not contest in those constituencies, there was every chance that on nomination day Barisan would win them uncontested.
“Such an attitude is telling that only DAP can mount any challenge in Mas Gading constituency and no one else. It is not only too far from what is true – It is downright arrogance,” he said yesterday.
He reiterated that STAR would only contest in Mas Gading and Mambong, and as such there was absolutely no reason to suspect that STAR would let BN win uncontested if it was allowed a one-to-one fight with BN there.
Although STAR might not be able to marshal as much funds as DAP, he affirmed that STAR would take the bull by its horns if entrusted with the fight, ‘with or without money, and with or without the support of Pakatan’.
“In the last state election, we helped PKR in Tasik Biru a lot. And any reciprocity on their part will be appreciated. After all in this game, no one walks alone,” he said.
On state PKR chairman Baru Bian’s question on what STAR could offer, Anek said the same question could be posed to PKR as well.
“As for changes, we want to bring changes as well. And we can better achieve them by cooperating although using separate vehicles,” he said. STAR is the political vehicle of United Borneo Front (UBF) to pursue the Borneo Agenda.
Calling on STAR to cooperate with PR, Baru had said that STAR did not perform well in the last state and previous elections, which showed that the party did not command much influence among voters.