Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi
SIBU: Democratic Action Party (DAP) can go for any number of seats to contest this coming state election but voters will have the final say on which party to vote, said state BN secretary-general Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi.
Dr Rundi, who is also Assistant Minister of Public Utilities (Electricity and Telecommunications), was asked for his view on the announcement by DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen that DAP would contest in at least 30 seats in the coming state polls.
Chong had said the move was to reduce the burden of its Pakatan Rakyat ally, PKR, in contesting in some rural and semi-urban areas. He also said the 30 seats did not include the proposed new seats.
“Well, any party can set their targets as they wish whether they can win or not. It is the voters who decide who they want to represent and serve them,” Dr Rundi told The Borneo Post yesterday.
On the other hand, PBB Supreme Council member Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said Chong’s announcement was expected, judging by the strength and support DAP received during the last state and parliamentary elections.
“And I am not surprised that DAP would vie for more seats to contest in the next state election. They are very organised and focused in their preparation,” he said.
“Whether they can win or not depends on the people and voters. I expect them to be a strong force especially in the urban areas as the BN party expected to contest in these areas are still ‘busy’ among themselves,” added the Assistant Minister of Youth Development and Asajaya assemblyman.
Meanwhile, Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office (Islamic Affairs) Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman said it was up to DAP to contest in as many seats as it wanted.
In the 2011 state election, DAP contested in 15 seats and won 12. PKR which contested in 49 seats won three, while only one out of the 41 independent candidates won. PAS, now defunct SNAP and Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM) failed to win any seat.
PBB won all the 35 seats it contested while SUPP only managed to win six out of the 19 seats it contested. PRS won eight out of nine seats it contested and SPDP won six out of eight seats contested.