DAP, PKR settle key state Perak

There will not be major switch or a big swap in seats in the Peninsular following seat negotiations between opposition parties DAP and PKR which just concluded two days ago.

The 2004 status quo will more or less be maintained, effectively ending the bid by PKR’s Chinese leaders to contest more winnable Chinese-majority seats which have traditionally been contested by the DAP.

Some not-so-popular state seats have been given to PKR during the negotiations to allow the electoral pact between the two opposition compatriots to be sealed.

In an interview today, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim - without revealing details of the talks outcome - denied his party gave in to DAP during the negotiations.

"They (DAP leaders) don’t often go to the Malay heartland, leaving only a few Chinese-majority seats (that can be contested by DAP).

"So we (PKR) think we need to concede, but we can’t concede all," Anwar said in a 40-minute interview with Malaysiakini and Singapore’s Channel News Asia at his office in Petaling Jaya this afternoon.

The results of the negotiations for Perak - which has hit an impasse over the past few months and delayed the talks elsewhere - will see the DAP to continue contest all seats in the Kinta Valley.

At a joint press conference in Ipoh this evening by DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng and Anwar, the parties confirmed that DAP would contest a total of seven parliament and 18 state seats in Perak.

This would leave a balance of 17 parliament and 41 state seats to be contested by either PKR or PAS. Anwar said talks on these seats were being finalised.

In 2004, DAP and PKR candidates clashed for three parliamentary seats (Sungai Siput, Teluk Intan and Taiping) and six state seats (Simpang Pulai, Bercham, Jelapang, Jalong, Aulong and Kuala Sepetang).

Out of these nine seats which saw a three-cornered fights in 2004, DAP will take on BN in a straight fight for six seats leaving PKR with three seats in the coming polls.

Insiders revealed that the Kinta Valley’s three parliamentary and nine state seats were the bone of contention during the talks with DAP refusing to give up even one of the Chinese-majority seats there to PKR, a multiracial party.

The three parliamentary seats are Ipoh Timur, Ipoh Barat and Batu Gajah while the nine state seats are Canning, Tebing Tinggi, Pasir Pinji, Bercham, Kepayang, Buntong, Jelapang, Menglembu and Tronoh.

DAP currently holds all three parliamentary seats and three state seats - Pasir Pinji, Menglembu and Jelapang.

As a ‘consolation’ for agreeing not to contest Kinta Valley seats, PKR were given the Simpang Pulai and Teja state seats which fall under the Gopeng parliamentary seat, which borders the Kinta Valley.

Simpang Pulai saw a three-cornered fight in the 2004 election among BN, DAP and PKR candidates. BN won with 8,193 votes while the DAP candidate polled 6,176 votes and PKR 2,118. Teja, too, was won by BN in a straight fight with DAP.

The battle plan for Selangor is also likely to resemble 2004's though both PKR and DAP Selangor chiefs, Khalid Ibrahim and Ean Yong Hian Wah respectively, said they were ‘not allowed’ to reveal the seat arrangements as yet.

The few contentious seats in Selangor are said to be the Puchong parliamentary seat and the Kajang and Kinrara state seats.

After a five-hour-long marathon meeting on Sunday, top leaders from DAP and PKR announced they had finally stitched a tentative agreement on straight fights against the Barisan Nasional for the March 8 general election.

However, they could not reach an electoral pact for Sabah and Sarawak saying it would be left to the state level leaders to make a final attempt to reach a consensus. The negotiations for East Malaysia, however, are reported to have collapsed.

PKR state chief Dominique Ng (pix) was quoted by Press reports as saying that the main reason for the collapse was DAP’s insistence to contest all seven Chinese-majority parliamentary seats in Sarawak - Bandar Kuching, Stampin, Sarikei, Lanang, Sibu, Bintulu and Miri.

Sarawak is seen as intractable as many ethnic Chinese leaders in the state PKR were formerly disgruntled DAP members who had left the party. The central leadership of both DAP and PKR hardly have little say over the state’s party affairs.

In his interview, Anwar expressed his hope that party leaders in Sarawak would exercise their political wisdom in order for a pact to be reached at the last minute. He said he understood that the local PKR leaders in Sarawak ‘have conceded a lot’.

DAP and PKR have so far announced their seat allocations for Penang, Pahang and Negri Sembilan. The placements for the remaining states are expected to be made public by Saturday.