Parti Keadilan Nasional is appealing to other opposition parties, especially the Democratic Action Party (DAP), to reach some understanding quickly to avoid a clash of their candidates in the Sarawak state election which may take place early August.

Parti Keadilan Sarawak liaison committee treasurer Dr Akaw Nonjep said it would only benefit the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) if opposition candidates were to face each other, especially in some crucial constituencies.

Akaw, who is also the party's Kuching division secretary, said he is expecting the 62-member state legislative assembly to dissolve by the end of this month soon after the extraordinary general meeting of Sarawak BN's leading party, Parti Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) in Kuching from July 13 to 17.

"Then it is likely that polling will take place in early August," he said in the interview also attended by the Keadilan Sarawak youth leader, Zulrusdi Mohamad Hol, at the party's headquarters in Jalan Satok, Kuching.

Akaw told malaysiakini the party will contest at least 40 seats and that the candidate line-up has been finalised, subject to approval from the national headquarters.

However, he declined to release the names, except to say that the prospective candidates are already on the ground and are known to the respective constituents.

According to him, the constituencies which the party is not contesting are those that are not easily accessible because they are too remote. Also, they have picked on constituencies where they have the best chance of winning.

"From the feedback we have received on the ground, we believe the voters have already made up their mind, and nothing BN says will be able to sway them back."

"We feel there are 15 constituencies where we have the best chance of winning," Zulrusdi said, adding that he will either contest in Satok, Semeriang or Tupong - all predominantly Malay constituencies in Kuching.

Native land

Among the issues in this forthcoming election, according to both men, is the native customary rights land in both Malay and Dayak areas while education and economic issues will be among the concerns in non-bumiputra areas.

Akaw said under the law, the government of the day can acquire land - especially those not surveyed and without titles - and give compensation for it. He added that the compensations that had been given were hardly adequate.

"What the government should have done was have those plots surveyed first and issue them with titles and offer the poor better financial considerations," he said.

Both Akaw and Zulrusdi do not think the Malay-Melanau thing is an issue at all in this election. "We have travelled to Melanau constituencies, talked to the people and listened to them. Many of them are not happy at all with the elected representatives."

Akaw said Sarawakians are generally thinking less of themselves as Malay, Melanau, Bidayuh and Chinese, but increasingly as Malaysians, and all are converging towards common points of interests in terms of basic needs.

"It is justice that the people want," according to Zulrusdi, adding that Keadilan's confidence in winning a number of seats has been bolstered by the good response from the ground and the growing disenchantment with the present government.