KUCHING: Head-on clashes between DAP and PKR in several seats this state polls which will be held anytime between now and June next year are most likely.
This is based on the fact that DAP has indicated interest to contest in more rural seats this time, seats which were previously contested by PKR.
State DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen yesterday, however, said he was unsure whether such a scenario would happen but neither did he rule out the possibility.
“Given the way PKR operates, which is active only during election time, my answer is that there may be or there may be not. But, what I want to say is we have identified potential candidates to contest in certain rural seats which were previously contested by PKR.
“Why do we move to the rural areas? The reason – we see a vacuum left by the opposition candidates after each election but before we move in we have to make sure we have potential candidates to contest in those areas,” he said.
Speaking to reporters at a news conference at DAP headquarters here yesterday, he said the party would not field candidates just for the sake of contesting but whoever was nominated must at least have a good chance of winning.
“Because of that we make it a point that anyone who intends to be our candidates must be living or working in areas where they intend to contest. We don’t want to have a candidate, for instance, wanting contest in Bengoh but is living in Kuala Lumpur or doing business here and contesting in Betong.
“In doing so they are being unfair to the voters. That is why most, if not all of our potential candidates, are professionals who gave up their professions to become full-time politicians and be on the ground at all times because we don’t believe in moonlighting politicians who only appear during elections and disappear after that. By doing so there is no way the oppositions can ever wrestle seats from the BN,” he said.
Chong, who is Bandar Kuching MP, said individuals who were really serious about politics should either work or live in areas where they intended to contest so that they would have better chances of winning.
“Most of our potential rural candidates are full-time political workers. Many have even given up their previous careers to fully dedicate their time to the party.
“We believe that through daily interaction with the people will they win their trust. Can we be faulted for being pro-active and taking the stride to be with and around the people?” he asked.
He said to increase the chance of defeating BN, DAP had to start walking and working on the ground long before the elections.
“As such, I invite PKR to do likewise, to have its potential candidates living and working in their respective areas, not operating by remote control. Let us compete in a positive manner, rather than PKR trying to badmouth and sulking over DAP’s effort to go rural.”
Chong said the country urgently needed a change in government but they could not just sit around doing nothing and waiting for the day lady luck to strike and PKR wins seats.
“If one were to do nothing extra after the last elections, how can one expect different results in the coming elections? These are all rural seats where personal touch and trust are important factors to win votes.
“For the voters in these areas, it is only fair that when they have problems, there is someone whom they can go to,” he said.- Borneo Post
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