GE14: BN to keep 25 seats in S’wak, possibly adding more
KUCHING: The Barisan Nasional ( BN) should be able to maintain the 25 parliamentary seats it won in the 13th general election ( GE13), with a possible increment of two to three more in the next GE14.
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing, who is also Parti Rakyat Sarawak ( PRS) president, said the seats that BN is confident of reclaiming are the Chinese-majority urban seats – now in the hands of the Democratic Action Party ( DAP).
“I believe we will maintain what we have ( 25 seats) and a possible increment of two to three Chinesemajority urban seats. I think we can do it,” he told reporters after presenting Minor Rural Project ( MRP) funds at his office here yesterday.
In GE13, DAP won six parliamentary seats – Bandar Kuching, Stampin, Sarikei, Lanang and Sibu – while PKR won Miri.
Masing said the basis of his prediction was the results achieved by BN during the 11th state election last year.
“If you look at the last election, we won some of the seats that we lost before. So based on that, there
If you look at the last election, we won some of the seats that we lost before. So based on that, there is a possibility for us to reclaim two to three seats, which are now held by the opposition.. Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing, Deputy Chief Minister
is a possibility for us to reclaim two to three seats, which are now held by the opposition.”
When asked about BN’s landslide win in the last state election being due to the ‘Adenan Factor’ (former chief minister Pehin Sri Tan Sri Adenan Satem), Masing said ‘ the spirit is still very much alive, and what BN should do is to keep what he has promised’.
“Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg has maintained that he will follow through with what ‘ Tok Nan’ had promised and the ‘ fever’ is still on. The understanding is still there and we have not changed any of them so far.”
Recently, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu ( PBB) secretary- general Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi said BN was confident of recapturing at least four seats from the opposition in GE14.
“We won 25 seats and lost six seats in the last parliamentary election. But this time, we are confident of winning at least four (from the six seats). We work very hard and we will give our support to the BN component parties that will be representing the four seats.”
Pakatan Harapan ( PH) has also expressed confidence of capturing the four seats from the BN in GE14.
PH Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen, who is state DAP chairman, said the four seats would be additional to the six existing seats held by the opposition.
Without naming the four seats, Chong said they would be in the rural and sub- urban ( predominantly Dayak) areas, which the opposition felt were ‘unsafe’ for BN.
In response, Masing said while anyone could make any claim, he did not think that PH could win the four BN seats.
“I don’t think the opposition can claim or reclaim any Dayak rural seats.”