SARAWAK Pakatan Harapan (PH) has agreed to maintain the status quo on seat allocation for the next general election by sticking to the “winning arrangement” of the 2018 polls, Chong Chieng Jen said.

The Sarawak PH chairman said in the last general election, DAP was allocated nine seats; Amanah, six; and PKR, 16, and the coalition had stunned the then Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) by winning nine of the parliamentary seats contested.

He noted that six Dayak-majority seats also fell to the opposition.

Chong said the state PH committee’s first meeting after the appointment of Roland Engan as the new Sarawak PKR chairman today had also agreed to allow the three component parties to negotiate individually with non-Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) parties for any kind of political arrangement to fight the four-party state ruling coalition.

The GPS component parties are Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu Sarawak, Sarawak United Peoples’ Party, Parti Rakyat Sarawak and Progressive Democratic Party.

Chong said the respective parties could negotiate without having to refer to the state PH committee.

“It’s to avoid three-cornered fights,” he said.

Chong said the next general election is “to finish our unfinished business”, a reference to PH winning in 2018 but whose government only lasted 22 months following a series of defections, which eroded its parliamentary majority.

The seats allocated to DAP in the last elections were seven in urban Chinese-majority constituencies – Bandar Kuching, Stampin, Serian, Sarikei, Lanang, Sibu, Bintulu – and two in rural Dayak-majority areas – Mas Gading and Kapit.

DAP won five – Bandar Kuching (Kelvin Yii), Stampin (Chong Chieng Jen), Sarikei (Wong Ling Biu), Lanang (Alice Lau), Sibu (Oscar Ling) and Mas Gading (Mordi Bimol).

Mas Gading was DAP’s first rural Dayak-majority seat.

The 16 seats allocated to PKR were Petra Jaya, Puncak Borneo, Sri Aman, Lubok Antu, Betong, Saratok, Kanowit, Mukah, Selangau, Hulu Rajang, Sibuti, Miri, Baram, Limbang, Lawas and Julau.

PKR won four – Puncak Borneo (Willie Mongin), Saratok (Ali Biju), Selangau (Baru Bian) and Miri (Michael Teo).

Amanah, Sarawak PH’s weakest link, was given six Malay-majority seats to contest – Santubong, Kota Samarahan, Batang Sadong, Batang Lupar, Tanjung Manis and Igan – and lost them all. – September 2, 2022.