PAKAN, Dec 8 ― Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) is hoping to be given the honour to contest in its traditional seats in the upcoming 12th state election.
The party had never given up its claim on the traditional seats, although it had conditionally agreed to let some of the seats to be contested by candidates from other components of Barisan Nasional (BN) as BN direct candidates.
A leader from PDP Pakan branch, Brian Fung, stated this after taking into view the general feeling of local members of PDP to see a candidate from the party defend the Pakan seat for GPS in the state election.
About 100 party members who attended a pre-Christmas gathering organised by PDP Pakan Service Centre at a member’s house along Jalan Wak here last Sunday said they longed to see a candidate from the party to be their elected representative.
Their spokesperson said the branch had many qualified and experienced candidates to shoulder the responsibility.
Fung, who is also a political secretary to the chief minister, assured them that the top leadership of the party had always taken every available opportunity to raise the ‘traditional seat’ issue with top leaders of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), of which PDP is a component.
“For the coming 12th state election, top PDP leaders had held a meeting in Kuala Lumpur last February to decide on its potential candidates to defend seats won by the party in the last state election and those contested by the BN direct candidates,” he said.
According to him, during the meeting the party had identified a suitable candidate for each of its traditional seats.
“The party already has a list of candidates for all its traditional seats including Pakan and they have been told to move on the ground to meet voters in their respective constituencies,” he said without revealing their identities.
Among those present at the gathering were PDP national organising secretary Yong Li Na, PDP Youth Movement executive secretary Aston Bobby, Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas) Sarikei Division superviser Duncan Luta, local community leaders, longhouse headmen and government pensioners. ― Borneo Post