‘No chance of unseating Taib’

Chief Minister Taib Mahmud is urging rural Sarawak to rally behind the BN in the upcoming polls because Pakatan Rakyat is 'already in disarray'.

KUCHING: Both DAP and Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud seem oddly enough to share a common view that the Pakatan Rakyat coalition has no chance of forming the next Sarawak government.
According to Taib, the opposition was in disarray and squabbling over seats.
“Pakatan and PKR are already in disarray and fighting among themselves now for seats.
“What type of government can they promise the people?” he said while urging the people in Marudi to rally behind the Barisan Nasional (BN) during the 10th state election.
He said the opposition was only good for talk and had yet to prove itself.
“The opposition can only talk and suggest this and that. The thing is it has not proven itself, unlike the present government,” Taib said, adding that he cannot blindly meet all the people’s demands just to be popular.
He said the state was “very prudent” and “strict”.
“We are prudent and strict with our administration… without giving in too much to the people’s demands,” he said.
Meanwhile, state DAP chairman Wong Ho Leng conceded yesterday that wresting Petrajaya was almost impossible.
“As of now, the chance is zero,” he said.
According to DAP, talks with PKR had broken down after the latter refused to budge from its demand that DAP cut back on its seats.
Wong, who is Bukit Assek assemblyman, said the party had finalised its list of 18 candidates and would disclose the name on April 6.
“The candidates will know on April 4 when (party secretary-general) Lim Guan Eng hands over the letter in Sibu,” he said.
On whether all incumbents will be retained, Wong said some incumbents’ seats may be switched to make way for new blood.
He said the selection of candidates took into consideration the parliamentary elections.
He said as far as possible DAP did not want to be drawn into three-cornered fights.
“We hope to avoid three-cornered contests but we have no control over it,” he said.