PKR wants to wrest Sarawak from Barisan Nasional in the next Malaysian state elections
SHAH ALAM, MALAYSIA - PKR wants to wrest Sarawak from Barisan Nasional in the next state elections and the ground work will begin next month, says de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
However, the party's new recruit Ngemoh assemblyman Gabriel Adit, who joined PKR with 12,000 supporters recently, acknowledged this to be a big challenge.
Anwar said he had heard the "cries" coming from the state and directed party leaders to go down to the ground in Sarawak starting next month to "do battle" to win the state.
"I am sure DAP and PAS will help. There is a big change coming there," he said in his keynote address at the PKR national congress yesterday.
Anwar said Sarawak was a state rich in petroleum, gas, timber and other natural resources but its people remained poor and were hungry for change.
Sarawak had its state elections in May 2006 and the next election is due in 2011.
Touching briefly on the Sept 16 self imposed deadline that had passed for Pakatan Rakyat (PR) to take over the Federal Government, Anwar said transition of government was not a personal political game but it involved many bodies like the police, military, judiciary, civil service and the media.
"True, it did not come to fruition on Sept 16 but believe me their (Barisan) political game cannot jeopardise the strength of the people's spirit when they are united," he added.
He acknowledged that there were some problems among PKR, PAS and DAP but said that all three parties should look at the bigger agenda.
Earlier, Adit called on all the PKR members from the peninsula to come to Sarawak because Barisan Nasional in Sarawak was very strong.
Speaking to reporters later, PKR vice president Azmin Ali said focusing on Sarawak did not mean that PKR was giving up on taking over the Federal Government through crossovers.
"But we are expecting early elections in Sarawak. We expect it in the second quarter of next year," he said.
He said all PKR MPs and assemblymen would be in Sarawak from the second week of December.
"If the people decide on change, there is no way to stop the mood on the ground," he added.
Later last night, Anwar disclosed that he at times had a headache over the anticipated crossovers of Barisan MPs to PKR.
He said some of them gave their word in writing but these MPs verbally attacked him later upon their return to Kuching.
"When I asked why, they said they had to because they were suspected of being the ones who would crossover. So sometimes this gives me a headache," he said.
Anwar also said he was often asked about what happened to the Sept 16 deadline to take over the Federal government and when he was going to Putrajaya.
"I want to say 'yesterday'," he said, adding he had promised these MPs that their names would not be revealed until they were ready to come out.
He however said he was confident of forming the government but that he could not reveal the strategy because that would be detrimental.
Meanwhile, PKR acknowledges that creating a common culture with coalition partners who have different philosophies and policies is a tough challenge.
Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, as the chief in the PKR-led state, called on PKR leaders and members to continue cultivating tolerance and goodwill with partners in the Pakatan Rakyat force.
"We in PKR also hope that our comrades in PAS and DAP have the same intentions towards us."