DAP targets 13 Sabah seats in GE14 action plan
BY CLARA CHOOI
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 — The DAP has kicked off its campaign to boot Barisan Nasional (BN) from Sabah in the next federal polls, announcing today an “adoption programme” tasking its elected representatives with adopting 13 state seats over the next five years.
DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, who listed out the targeted seats during his visit to the state today, said more than one elected representative from the DAP, both from Sabah or elsewhere, can be appointed to service each of the 13 constituencies.
“My message to DAP and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders, members and supporters is that there is no time for rest as we must work immediately to achieve what we failed in the 13GE as well as to ensure that we build a solid foundation to also win the Sabah State Government in the 14GE,” he said in a statement here, using the English acronyms referring to the just-concluded 13th general election and the next federal polls in five years’ time.
The Election 2013 results saw Barisan Nasional (BN) returned to power in Sabah with a comfortable two-thirds majority but the ruling pact suffered a major dent to its armour.
PR recorded historic wins in the BN bastion, increasing its seat numbers to a comfortable 11 state seats in the 60-seat state legislative assembly and three parliament seats.
In Election 2008, the opposition only scored one state and one parliament seat in Sabah, both won by the DAP.
Lim said although PR had not achieved its original target of winning at least one third of the 26 parliamentary seats in Sabah, the state could no longer be considered a BN “fixed deposit”.
He said the same of Sarawak and Johor, another two states that were also considered BN fortresses, adding that the contest to topple the ruling pact in the next federal polls is now “fully out in the open arena”.
Citing the results in Sabah, Lim repeated his disappointment in the last-minute seat clashes in the state’s opposition front between PR and local parties Sarawak Progressive Party (SAPP) and the State Reform Party (STAR).
He said if not for the clashes, BN would have lost in another four parliamentary and eight state seats, namely the Kota Marudu, Keningau, Tenom and Pensiangan federal seats and the Kiulu, Kundasang, Paginatan, Tambunan, Liawan, Melalap, Nabawan and Elopura state seats.
A fully united opposition front would have led to BN falling in at least 11 parliamentary and 26 state seats, Lim claimed.
But moving forward, the Gelang Patah MP said PR should now focus on winning both the federal government and the Sabah state government, taking cognisance of its promising victories in the last election.
“For this reason, apart from the four existing DAP seats, Sabah DAP will immediately focus on 13 areas to help PR achieve the two-fold objectives for the 14GE — namely Elopura, Karamunting, Tanjong Papat, Tanjong Aru, Karanaan, Paginatan, Tanjong Kapor, Melalap, Kemabong, Liaiwan, Sook, Tambunan and Merotai,” he said.
“To help in the DAP and PR campaign in Sabah for the 14GE, DAP MPs and state assemblymen, whether in or out of Sabah, will be encouraged to ‘adopt’ these targeted 13 Sabah constituencies,” he added.
The Sabah DAP state liaison committee and MP Teresa Kok, who has been appointed as coordinator for Sabah and Sarawak, will soon work out the details of the adoption programme, Lim said.
On his part, the politician said he will adopt the Karanaan state constituency.
