PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim said today that any disagreement on seat allocation between PKR and DAP in Sarawak will be resolved in the end.

"I don't buy it," he told reporters in response to a suggestion that local PKR leaders would not be able to agree even on a single seat out of the seven Chinese-majority parliamentary seats with the DAP in Sarawak.

He expressed confidence that the opposition will do 'very well' in the coming general election,

Sarawak holds separate state and parliamentary elections. The last state election was held in May 2006. Parliamentary elections are held simulataneously with the rest of the country.

Tussle over Chinese seats

The former deputy premier, in Sarawak on a two-day visit, said the parties have established a format for discussions to resolve the seat issue nationwide, including Sarawak.

Failing any disagreement among state leaders of the two parties, the matter would be referred to national leaders.

"We will decide with the agreement of state leaders," he said, adding that it is important to have the agreement of leaders and members on the ground.

Sarawak DAP leaders have refused to budge on even a single seat in the Chinese-majority areas, trying to justify it partly on Anwar's recent statement that such seats actually are to be contested by DAP.

Anwar today admitted he had made such a statement but that the DAP had taken it out of context, saying that what he means are the traditional DAP seats.

"If we are to say all Chinese seats will go to DAP, then it is to say there are no Chinese members in PKR which is not true at all."

One of the seats that PKR is keen to contest is Stampin, presently held by Supp's Yong Khoon Seng for several terms. Sarawak PKR has proposed its Stampin branch leader and NGO lawyer See Chee How for the seat while the state DAP has proposed its Batu Lintang state assemblyperson and lawyer Voon Lee Shan.

DAP has given notice of its intention to contest Bandar Kuching, Stampin, Sibu, Lanang, Sarikei, Bintulu and Miri - all Chinese-majority seats. PKR has also announced it wants to contest in several of these seats too.

Anwar told a press conference after meeting the party's state liaison committee that he believed the general election would be held in April this year. "If they delay, it will get worse for them," he said.

Donation to school

Meanwhile, PKR today handed over a donation of RM339,999 to the SJK Chung Hua Sungai Tapang School Building Fund.

The cheques were handed over by Anwar in the presence of its state chief Dominique Ng and other state leaders to Liew Thian Liang, chairperson of the Federation of Primary Schools Board of Management Kuching and Samarahan at a ceremony in a local hotel in Kuching this afternoon.

The money was raised by the party through various fund-raising projects specifically for the school building project costing RM8 million. More than half have been raised.

Liew told reporters that the school board of management welcomed donations from all political parties and would not reject any donation.

Anwar said his party's policy while maintaining support for Bahasa Malaysia as the official language also recognised the importance of English as well as Mandarin which he described as growing in international importance as an economic language.

The constitution guarantees the use of Mandarin as the medium of instruction in Chinese schools in the country, he added.

The former deputy premier was earlier in Kampong Serpan in Asajaya, about 60 km from Kuching where he addressed 500 people. Later tonight, he will be addressing PKR members and supporters in Bako and Petrajaya.