No ‘white’, ‘grey’ or ‘black’ seats for GPS; PBB info chief says every constituency matters

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By Amanda L

KUCHING, Oct 17: Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Information chief Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has rejected the notion of “white”, “grey” and “black” seats in the coming Sarawak election, saying Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) must treat every constituency as important and ensure voters are represented by the best possible candidates.

He said the coalition could not afford to take any seat for granted, regardless of how confident it might be of winning it.

“We should not say this is a white seat, this is a grey seat or this is a black seat. Every seat is important. We cannot take chances. Even if some people say, ‘You could put up a cow’s picture and still win.’ No, we must respect the voters and their judgement. They deserve the best elected representatives,” he told reporters at a press conference after officiating DayakDaily’s Sarawak Folklore Writing Competition Awards Ceremony at Imperial Hotel here today.

Abdul Karim, who is also the assemblyman for Asajaya, said replacing long-serving incumbents was part of the party’s succession planning, stressing that no elected representative should consider themselves indispensable.

“Nobody can claim that without me, this constituency will not be able to develop or improve. Nobody can make that claim,” he said.

He said voters should understand that candidate changes were sometimes necessary to ensure continuity, adding that outgoing representatives should continue to support their successors.

“Sometimes, even if their hearts and souls want to retain the incumbent, the party also has its own plans, not just for now but for the future, to ensure continuity,” he said.

On GPS’ prospects in the coming election, he expressed confidence that the coalition could retain at least a two-thirds majority in the 82-seat Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS), and potentially secure three-quarters of the seats.

However, he acknowledged that some constituencies would require greater attention, particularly where grassroots concerns had arisen over the performance of incumbent representatives.

He said the coalition would have to assess such issues carefully and consider replacing representatives who had not fulfilled their responsibilities adequately.

On the allocation of seats among GPS component parties, including overlapping constituencies involving the Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), he said the matter would be decided by the coalition’s top leadership.

Abdul Karim, who serves as the Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, also said candidate selection should make room for younger people and women, adding that new faces were expected in every election as part of efforts to ensure the party’s long-term continuity. — DayakDaily

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