It just doesn’t make good political sense why Wong Soon Koh insisted that DAP to give up the Parliamentary constituency of Sibu, dropping the incumbent YB Oscar Ling to make way for a yet-to-be-decided candidate of PSB.
In Sarawak’s politics, an incumbent normally stands a better chance to win than a new-comer.
Furthermore, the 15 th General Elections is expected to be held in a few months’ time. It is definitely not the time to put up a new comer to face off against the might of the GPS’ machinery, what more when PSB has not even disclosed who that new comer will be.
Therefore, at this final lapse leading up to the 15 th GE, for DAP to give up Sibu for PSB to field a new comer will only give the GPS an upper hand and increase the GPS’ winning chance. That should not be the aim of co-operation amongst the Opposition parties, unless Wong Soon Koh has other agenda up his sleeve.
It is also very misleading of PSB to accuse DAP for not wanting to give up any single seat.
There are 23 seats in Sarawak currently held by the GPS’s Members of Parliament or those MPs turned-friendly to GPS. DAP has contested in some of those seats in 14th GE but failed to win them.
We are more than willing to give up some of those seats to other Opposition parties, including PSB, to contest to increase the Opposition’s chance of winning more seats in the coming 15th GE.
Beside the winnability factor of a candidate, the more important factor that people are concerned is the integrity and principle of a candidate. DAP MPs have proven that we withstood all temptation and persecution and the 42 MPs stood firm despite all odds.
Such integrity factor will be more important in the coming 15 th GE given that in the new political landscape, no single party or coalition is likely to win the majority of the parliamentary seats. There will be a lot of negotiation and even personal enticement post 15th GE.
Therefore, we DAP Sarawak, must strive to win as many seats as possible so as to strengthen our chances to re-build our country and economy on the basis of good governance, equality and fairness.