KUCHING: Democratic Action Party (DAP) is confident that it can register a much bigger victory in the next state election by surpassing the 12 seats it won in 2011.
Gobind (right) greets the crowd after the dinner. — Photo by Chimon Upon
Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo, on a visit here in conjunction with the Malaysia Day celebration, said DAP and its Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition partners have proven that they can govern and provide a better alternative to Barisan Nasional (BN).
The son of DAP’s former national chairman, the late Karpal Singh, added that Pakatan has shown to the nation that the coalition is clean, free of corruption and able to ‘walk the talk’.
He pointed out that since 2006, Pakatan continued to increase its seats as shown in the 2008 and 2013 general elections.
In Sarawak, he said, DAP has been enjoying an upward trend in support, enabling it to double its seats in the April 2011 state polls from the six it won five years earlier.
The 12 state constituencies that DAP won are Padungan, Pending, Kota Sentosa, Batu Kawah, Repok, Meradong, Bukit Assek, Dudong, Pelawan, Kidurong, Piasau and Pujut. The general election last year saw the party winning Bandar Kuching, Stampin, Sarikei, Lanang and Sibu.
Gobind, who is also the party’s national Legal Bureau secretary, believes that the strong support for DAP in the state will continue to rise.
“Now is the time for Malaysians to rise. The people must stand up and demand for a better Malaysia. We cannot give up.
“The time will come when we see a new government in Malaysia.
“Barisan has always referred to Sarawak as a fixed deposit state. Therefore, the wind of change must come from Sarawak,” he said at a dinner organised by DAP Mambong at Mile 13, near here on Monday.
Also present were state DAP chairman Chong Chieg Jen who is also Bandar Kuching MP and Serdang MP Dr Ong Kian Ming.
Gobind also mentioned that Chong, surrounded with a good team of leaders, had done a good job in administering the affairs here which could help the party achieve a bigger victory in the next state election which is due in 2016.
“Despite the odds, it is our leaders that have stood up for us. They could have backed down but they didn’t. At the time, they could have just quit but they did not. They continued to fight for the struggle of the people.
“Now we are in 2014, the whole nation must not give up. Now is the time for us to stand up stronger. If the need arises, Pakatan is prepared to govern in Putrajaya,” he said.