KUCHING: Pakatan Harapan Sarawak is confident of capturing four more Barisan Nasional (BN) seats this coming general election (GE14).
Its chairman Chong Chieng Jen said the four seats would be additional to the six existing seats held by the opposition.
“We don’t want to reveal which four seats yet but it will be in the rural and suburban areas, which we feel are ‘unsafe’ for BN,” he told a press conference at the DAP headquarters here yesterday.
It was attended by Pakatan Harapan Sarawak information chief Vernon Kedit, Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong and Stampin MP Julian Tan.
Chong, who is also chairman of state Democratic Action Party (DAP), expressed confidence that Pakatan could capture the seats because of people’s dissatisfaction.
“After BN was returned to rule for another four years since GE13, livelihood of the people has not improved but instead burdened by the rising cost of living,” he pointed out.
In the last general election, out of the six seats won by the opposition coalition, five were won by DAP – Bandar Kuching(Chong), Stampin (Julian Tan), Sarikei (Wong Ling Biu), Sibu (Oscar Ling) and Lanang (Alice Lau) while PKR won Miri constituency (Dr Michael Teo).
Chong believed that the results of the last general election would have little bearing on the upcoming election.
“The leadership of Adenan Satem (late Chief Minister Pehin Sri Tan Sri Adenan Satem) has no more impact on BN. Other than that, there is a difference between state and general election,” he said.
Recently, state BN secretary-general Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi stated that BN was confident of capturing at least four seats from the opposition in the upcoming general election.
Though not naming the seats, Dr Rundi urged all BN component parties to unite and work harder to wrest the four seats.
“We won 25 seats and lost six seats in the last general election. But in the GE14, we are confident of winning at least four (from the six seats). We will work hard and we will give our fullest support to the BN component parties representing the four seats,” Dr Rundi added.