PKR aims to win at least 18 seats next state election
KUCHING: Parti Keadilan Rakyat ( PKR) must win at least 18 seats in the next state election to help Pakatan Harapan ( PH) take over the Sarawak government.
PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli, who is vying for the party’s deputy president post, said PKR aspires to be the anchor party of Sarawak government if PH were to win the next state election.
“Two years from now, we must wrest Sarawak from GPS ( Gabungan Parti Sarawak) to become the next Sarawak government. When PKR is in both the federal government and Sarawak government, we can better negotiate about the status and rights of Sarawak.
“The negotiation is more direct because our next party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be the eighth Prime Minister of Malaysia. We can work together to return the rights of Sarawak to the people of Sarawak,” he said during his campaign for PKR deputy president at a hotel here yesterday.
The event was also held in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of PKR’s ‘reformasi’ uprising.
Rafizi said ‘ reformasi’ was initiated two decades ago when Anwar, the deputy prime minister at the time, was sentenced to jail.
He said nobody would have thought that Barisan Nasional ( BN) would be defeated 20 years later.
“Today, BN rules only two states in Malaysia: Perlis and Pahang. Even Sarawak has ditched BN.”
At present, PKR has six MPs from Sarawak. They are Willie Mongin ( Puncak Borneo), Jugah Muyang ( Lubok Antu), Ali Biju ( Saratok), Larry Sng (Julau), Dr Michael Teo (Miri) and Baru Bian (Selangau).
Rafizi said yesterday marked the first time he was allowed entry to the city after seven years.
He added that the single time he was permitted to enter Sarawak via Sibu Airport was during the 2016 state election. He recalled that he had personally written to the late Pehin Sri
Two years from now, we must wrest Sarawak from GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak) to become the next Sarawak government. When PKR is in both the federal government and Sarawak government, we can better negotiate about the status and rights of Sarawak. Rafizi Ramli, PKR vice president
Adenan Satem, telling the then chief minister that he had to meet PKR supporters and members in Sarawak.
“In that letter, I even told Datuk Patinggi Adenan Satem that I would not find fault with him but I would criticise (then prime minister Datuk Seri) Najib ( Tun Razak). I did not come to Kuching but Sibu instead, and from Sibu I went to Mukah. This is the first time I am in Kuching since 2011,” he said.
Rafizi has launched his nationwide campaign to challenge Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali for the deputy presidential post.
Azmin Ali, who is Economic Affairs Minister, has been PKR deputy president since 2010.
The party election results are expected to be announced in November. Before then, candidates can go all- out to garner votes because every member of PKR has the right to decide on party leadership.