PKR HAS LOST ITS INFLUENCE

PARTI Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) serves no purpose in the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) since it has now proven in the just-concluded Sarawak state election that it (PKR) cannot even deliver the bumiputera votes and the rural seats, said ex-PKR leader, Datuk Hj Nahalan Hj Damsal.

“Even three seats won by Sarawak PKR were due to the other factors. The Ba’ Kelalan seat was won by Baru Bian (Sarawak PKR Chief) due to his strong personality, good record and a strong financial backing. Krian was won by Ali Biju who has good local networking, an extended family besides enough funding.

“As for Batu Lintang in Kuching, it was a gift from DAP. PKR lost all the other 46 seats it had contested,” said Nahalan who was former PKR head for Batu Sapi division.

Nahalan who is former State Culture, Youth and Sports Minister in the PBS-era and a former Assistant State Tourism and Resource Development Minister in Barisan Nasional (BN), pointed this out in his response to the Sarawak state election results.

He further noted that in the Batu Sapi by-election last year, which was won by BN, the Bumiputra votes of PKR were only half of that obtained by Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP).

“The Chinese voters, who had voted for me under PKR in 2008, had swung away from SAPP to PKR because of the last minute campaign against SAPP by top PKR and DAP leaders from Kuala Lumpur,” he claimed.

Nahalan further claimed that the culture of internal conflicts in PKR is still rampant.

“Look at the the case of Dominique Ng. He was a founder of Sarawak PKR who was the only PKR candidate who won in Sarawak in 2006. But Ng was humiliatingly dropped at the last minute. PKR leaders promised Ng the candidacy for parliament. If Ng is not good enough to be a candidate for the state seat, why is he good enough for parliament?” asked Nahalan.

He claimed that this was the type of dishonesty, divisive politics, internal conflicts and factionalism practiced in PKR everywhere, including Sabah.

“This is why I urge the people, particularly the Bumiputras, to join forces in SAPP to fight the BN in the coming general elections,” said Nahalan.