Opposition alliance BRS

Opposition alliance BRS

Posted by Raja Petra
Monday, 17 March 2008, MT

By Yunus Yussop and Zora Chan, BORNEO POST

KUCHING: A new opposition alliance, Barisan Rakyat Sarawak (BRS), comprising Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Sarawak National Party (SNAP) and budding ‘partyless’ politicians is in the making to take on the ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional (BN) in the next state election.

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NEW ALLIANCE: Leaders and members of the proposed new alliance, Barisan Rakyat Sarawak.

Announcing this yesterday, PKR Sarawak chairman Dominique Ng said BRS’ strategy would be squaring off with all BN candidates in straight fights in all the 71 constituencies.

“PKR with support from other opposition parties like SNAP believe it will be able to take on BN in the next state election.

“We hope to make BN the opposition party in Sarawak,” he told a press conference here after chairing an election post mortem meeting with PKR, SNAP and independent candidates who contested in the just concluded parliamentary election.

PKR state advisor Datuk Hafsah Harun was also present.

Ng who is Padungan assemblyman said the ‘political tsunami’ in Peninsular Malaysia gave much hope and confidence to BRS to work together.

PKR’s success in the peninsula also prompted many people including those from SNAP and independent candidates to join the party, he said.

The party would be launching its manifesto for the people of Sarawak soon and PKR advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is expected to launch it, he said.

He said the manifesto which would be similar to the one launched in Sabah would be made known early so that voters would have more time to review it.

“We want to show to the people that we’re a serious party and an alternative government,” he added.

Ng said the political change started in Sarawak’s 2006 state election when the BN lost nine seats and it spread to other states last week.

An impossible dream had happened in Peninsular Malaysia’s political scenario and the overall results showed signs of increase in support for the party, he said.

Sarawak’s second biggest BN component party, SUPP contested in 19 seats but lost Padungan, Pending, Batu Lintang, Kota Sentosa, Engkilili, Meradong, Bukit Assek and Kidurong to Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Sarawak National Party (SNAP) in the 2006 polls. BN/Parti Rakyat Sarawak lost Ngemah to independent candidate Gabriel Adit.

On March 8, the BN was denied a two-third majority and the coalition saw its worst results since 1969.

It also lost Kedah, Penang, Selangor and Perak to opposition parties, and failed to recapture Kelantan which is Parti Se-Islam Malaysia’s (PAS) stronghold.

“During the meeting, we also discussed the agenda and programmes in the build up for the state election and we urge candidates and their machinery not to stop working but to continue the party’s struggles until the election (is called),” Ng said.

He said currently the party had set up 11 divisions and all candidates had been directed to form the remaining 20 soon.

“We urge like-minded Sarawakians to join BRS to bring about a change,” he said.

He also welcomed intellectuals and professionals from all races to join the party to bring better changes for all Sarawakians.

Meanwhile, SNAP secretary general Stanley Edmund Jugol said he felt that it was time for the party to consider either to remain on its own or be among a bigger group like PKR.

“This is my personal view as I’ve yet to consult the party’s central executive committee (CEC),” he pointed out.

He said SNAP would reach a crossroads with the current political development in Malaysia and therefore, major decisions had to be made soon.

Independent candidate for Lubok Antu Nicholas Bawin said he believed that the Dayak community had more confidence in PKR after witnessing the ‘political tsunami’ in the peninsula.

He said the community also wanted to see changes in Sarawak’s political landscape in the next state election, adding that he would be joining PKR soon officially.

He said he would be getting more Dayak professionals to be PKR members to inject new ideas to strengthen the party.

To a question, PKR state deputy chairman Baharuddin Mokhsen said it was up to Sarawak Democratic Action Party (DAP) leaders to liaise directly with Anwar or PKR Sarawak from now on.

But he hoped that the DAP state leaders would put aside personal differences and look at the bigger picture to fulfill the wishes of the people and achieve better election results in the future.

“We have more similarities than differences with them,” he pointed out, adding that if PKR and DAP in Peninsular Malaysia could work together, so could both parties in Sarawak.