SARAWAK DAP will use the party’s rocket logo in contesting the state’s eight parliamentary seats in the November 19 general election (GE). 

State chairman Chong Chieng Jen said the party chapter has invoked its autonomy not to follow the Pakatan Harapan (PH) central leadership’s decision that parties in the opposition bloc use the PH logo in the GE.

“Sarawak always has its autonomy to determine which logo to use and we have already made clear we will contest on (DAP’s) rocket logo,” the Stampin incumbent said.

He said this when asked if there was any change in Sarawak DAP’s position after its national secretary-general Anthony Loke yesterday announced that all the four parties in the opposition bloc will use the coalition’s logo. 

Sarawak DAP had used the rocket logo in the last GE. It has been using its own logo in all elections it has contested since its entry into the state. 

However, the two other peninsula-based parties in the coalition – PKR and Amanah – will comply with the national chapter’s decision and will use the PH logo. 

State PKR chairman Roland Engan had confirmed mid-month that Sarawak PKR and Amanah will use the PH logo. 

The pro-independence Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) has agreed to use the logo of Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) – the lead party in the state’s second opposition bloc – in the GE.

The third party in the ad hoc coalition, Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS), will use its own logo.

PBK president Voon Lee Shan told The Malaysian Insight that the party’s “ground” surveys showed “voters prefer local opposition political parties to collaborate with each other, and, if possible, to contest under one banner”. 

PSB, PBK and PBDS are all state-based parties. 

“This would give greater impact and support from voters and they want to see unity among us,” he added.

Voon said he had observed that if PBK could use a common symbol, like PH did in the last GE, “our chances of winning would be very high”. 

PBDS president Bobby William, in explaining why the Dayak rights party opted not to follow PBK’s footsteps, said the memorandum of understanding the three parties signed on October 1 in Sibu for an electoral pact on not competing against one another “does not bind us to using (a common) logo”. 

He also said the party’s supreme council had not sanctioned any approval to use the PSB logo. PBDS will be contesting four parliamentary seats in the election – Baram, Sibuti, Kapit and Julau. – October 21, 2022.