GABUNGAN Parti Sarawak (GPS) has already discussed the allocation of seats among its four component parties but coalition chairman Abang Johari Openg is refusing to give details.

“No rush. We don’t rush,” he said today, mocking the opposition who had accused him of rushing the application for the emergency in Sarawak to be lifted early so the state elections could be held.

“Just wait. The state assembly is only just dissolved.

“Some people are saying we don’t need to rush. So we don’t rush,” he said.

In the last elections in 2016, Abang Johari’s Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) was allocated 39 of the 82 seats contested, Sarawak United People’s Party was given 13, Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) got 11 and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) got six.

The other 13 seats were allocated to then GPS-friendly United People’s Party (UPP) and candidates without parties who were fielded as Barisan Nasional direct candidates.

UPP has since been renamed and rebranded Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) and an opposition party after it was booted out as friends of GPS for being unfriendly.

While direct candidates who won have made their choice on which party to join, carving up the five seats UPP were allocated – Dudong, Bawang Assan, Mambong, Opar, Engklili – is of particular interest.

PRS, whose president James Masing died on October 31, is one party that is unlikely to be allocated any more seats.

Its deputy president Joseph Salang at Masing’s wake had said allocation for PRS remains the same.

PDP on the other hand is seeking a higher allocation with its president, Bintulu MP Tiong King Sing, in July telling the Dayak Daily portal that the party is seeking 10 seats.

Tiong was quoted as saying the distribution should be “in accordance to a party’s winnability in the areas”.

Tiong also wants a return of “seats taken away (from us)” in apparent reference to the Bekenu and Batu Danau seats, whose representatives have joined PBB. – November 5, 2021.