TAIPING: Perak Pakatan Rakyat seems confident of taking 35 to 40 state seats for a majority win in the Silver State that it lost to the political manoeuvre by Barisan Nasional in 2009.
In the 2008 general election, out of the 59 state seats up for grabs, Pakatan took 31 while BN won 28. But BN eventually took control of the state when three Pakatan state reps quit the coalition and became BN-friendly independents.
State DAP secretary Nga Kor Ming said: “We are cautiously optimistic and working very hard. We are quite confident (of taking the state) from the ground response (we received) from all the races.”
“If everything goes well, we will be able to score 35 to 40 state seats for a majority rule (of Perak),” the vocal DAP leader told FMT.
As to the perception that Umno had an iron hold over rural voters, Nga said: “This is no more as the mindset of the rural Malays are now adopting to the new political scenario which I had observed during my campaign visits to rural areas like Bagan Serai, Kubu Gajah and Selama.”
This change in the political outlook was also noticed among the residents in Kamunting who were receptive and said “Ini Kali-lah” when Nga and other DAP candidates went on a Sunday morning walkabout around the Kamunting Market.
He was also accompanied by Kamunting state seat PAS candidate Mohamad Fakhrudin Abdul Aziz and other PAS leaders.
Nga also met PAS president Hadi Awang who was en route to Penang from a ceremah at Kuala Kangsar and had breakfast with him at the Kamunting PAS office.
“My question is when the voters can give BN 56 years to rule the nation, why not give us five years to try us out,” Nga said.
Asked about the outcome of the 18 grey state seats won by both coalitions with slim majorities of less than 1,000 votes in the last polls, he said: “We now see that there is a significant swing for Pakatan (in these seats).”
The 18 seats are Selama, Kubu Gajah, Kuala Kurau, Alor Pongsu, Selinsing, Kuala Sepetang, Trong, Kamunting, Pokok Assam, Lubok Merbau, Manjoi, Kepayang, Manong, Pengakalan Baharu, Rungkup, Changat Jong, Sungai Rapat and Teja.
Nga, who is also the party national deputy treasurer, is contesting both the Kepayang state seat and Taiping parliamentary seat in the 13 general election.
Doing more for Sabah, Sarawak
Responding to a question, he also rubbished caretaker prime minister Najib Tun Razak’s recent statement that 20 % oil royalty to Sabah would kill off interest in developing the offshore petroleum industry.
Nga said that oil producing Latin American countries like Venezuela can plough back all the oil profits for the welfare betterment of its citizens.
“It has been proven again that Najib is of the old mindset and is no longer fit for the Prime Minister’s Office.
“Najib wants to deprive the citizens of Sabah and Sarawak of their wealth of natural resources to enrich the cronies,” he added.
The vocal DAP leader said since Sabah and Sarawak are oil producers, its residents should enjoy equal distribution of the nation’s oil wealth especially when East Malaysia is far more backward than Peninsular Malaysia.
“As such we must respect the 20-Point Agreement for Sabah, the 18-Point Agreement for Sarawak and also the wishes of Sabahans and Sarawakians,” he stressed.
Pakatan Rakyat has promised to increase Sabah’s oil royalty from the present 5% to 20 % if the opposition takes control of Putrajaya.
