GPS wins big, waits for the call
Abang Johari: as of now, no coalition has called me yet on working together
KUCHING: Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) has won big in the state and is now waiting for the dust in the peninsula to settle and calls to come in on possible pacts to form the next federal government.
Sarawak Premier and GPS chairman Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg told a late-night press conference here that no coalition in Peninsular Malaysia had called him yet.
He said GPS would wait for the final GE15 results before making a decision on who to work with.
“I haven’t got details of the results in the peninsula so the question of who GPS will support will be decided later.
“Wait until they contact me. So far, no one has contacted me. They’re still counting over there, so we just wait,” he said.
GPS officially won 21 of the state’s 31 parliamentary seats and looked likely to retain Baram and Limbang as well.
Voting was suspended in 11 polling stations in Baram while several ballot boxes from Limbang could not be transported to the tallying centre due to bad weather.
“Based on the votes counted so far, it looks like GPS will win both seats, subject to the Election Commission’s confirmation.
“We managed to increase our seats from 19 in GE14 to 23 so it’s quite a satisfactory performance.
“We thank Sarawakians for giving GPS the confidence to voice out what we want in Parliament,” Abang Johari told reporters at the GPS viewing party at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching last night.
GPS, he noted, managed to wrest back Sarikei, Lubok Antu, Puncak Borneo and Selangau from the Opposition, adding that all five of its women candidates also won.
They include GPS newcomer Rodiyah Sapiee in Batang Sadong and former senator Datuk Seri Doris Sophia Brodi in Sri Aman, who became the first Iban woman to be elected to Parliament.
Among its component parties, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu unofficially won all 14 seats it contested, including Limbang, while the Sarawak United People’s Party and the Progressive Democratic Party won two each.
Parti Rakyat Sarawak won five seats but its president, Datuk Joseph Salang, lost in Julau to Parti Bangsa Malaysia’s incumbent Datuk Larry Sng.
“We expected Salang to win; unfortunately, he did not make it,” Abang Johari said, adding that GPS respected the voters’ decision in Saratok, which was retained by Perikatan Nasional’s incumbent Datuk Ali Biju.
Salang said his defeat was likely due to poor voter turnout.
“The numbers didn’t tally as well as we hoped for. Only an estimated 22,000 out of about 34,000 voters showed up,” he said, adding that the voters had made their decision.
“Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose. That’s just how it is,” Salang said.
Meanwhile, DAP retained five of the six seats it won previously while PKR retained Miri.
Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen thanked voters for their support.
“This is only part of the journey to reform. We still have a long way to go on the road to full reform at the national level,” he said.
None of the local Opposition parties managed to win a seat.