BY NATASHA JEE & ZARINA ABDULLAH
KUCHING: It will be tough for Semenanjung-based parties such as Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), Parti Amanah Negara (AMANAH), Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and Democractic Action Party (DAP) to win in Sarawak in the 15th general election (GE-15).
According to political analyst Dr Lee Kuok Tiung, it would be difficult for these parties as the sentiment trend in the state now is more towards local parties.
“PAS and AMANAH have their own ideologies and it is difficult to be accepted by the majority of the society in Sarawak which is multi-religious and multi-racial,” he said when contacted by New Sarawak Tribune.
When asked if the two parties namely PAS and AMANAH’s election candidates are likely to lose their deposits, Dr Lee said losing the deposit was secondary but it is unlikely for them to win.
On PKR, he said it is also hard for the party to win any seats in the coming general election after looking at their performance in the 12th state election.
“Currently, PKR does not have a strong local leader such as Baru Bian, who is the Selangau incumbent.
“They also seem to have failed to reach an agreement with Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak (a component of Pakatan Harapan) which is using its own logo to contest in the election,” he said.
Another political analyst Dr Ammar Redza Ahmad Rizal said it is a big challenge for Semenanjung-based parties to compete in Sarawak be it PAS, AMANAH or PKR.
“It will not only result in them not winning any seats but many of their candidates may also lose their election deposits.
“I think DAP will also face the same problem. It is based on what we have seen of the party’s poor performance in the 12th state election. So, I see the same thing will happen again in GE15,” he said.
On PAS, AMANAH and PKR, he said it was a brave move for these parties to contest in the state again considering that they did not win any seat in the 12th state election.
“I think the same situation will happen again. There is no denying that they may get votes but the chances of winning any seat are very slim, and the probability of their candidates losing their deposit is also high,” he said.
On the other hand, he said Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) which is the state’s ruling party is performing very well.
“From the point of view of the manifesto, I believe GPS has succeeded in showing the voters and the people their ability not only in speaking and making promises, but also in fulfilling their promises.
“I also think GPS will use these points in their campaign to show that if the people continue to choose GPS, they will definitely keep the promises made in the manifesto,” he said.
