S'WAK POLLS DAP today revealed the results of a survey commissioned by DAP and PKR before the Sarawak polls, to prove it has higher chances of winning than PKR in some of the disputed seats.
PKR and DAP had commissioned an independent pollster to survey six constituencies to iron out potential clashes, DAP’s Serdang MP Ong Kian Ming said in statement.
Of the six constituencies surveyed, three are now contested by both DAP and PKR. They are Batu Kitang, Simanggang and Mambong.
However, Ong pointed out that the survey results showed DAP had significantly higher chances of winning in Chinese-majority Batu Kitang and better chances than PKR in Simanggang.
The survey found DAP had 60 percent favourability among voters in Batu Kitang, compared to PKR’s eight percent.
In Simanggang, 47 percent of voters favoured DAP compared to BN while 23 percent said they would vote PKR against BN.
However, in Mambong, both parties were even when 36 percent said they would favour either PKR or DAP against BN.
“DAP’s candidate for Simanggang, Leon Donald, lives in the Sri Aman area, contested in this seat in 2011 and had been working the ground for the past five years.
“The survey results also showed the DAP candidate being more popular and well-known than the PKR candidate.
“Is the DAP greedy for wanting to contest in only one out of eight state seats in this area? And where the survey result had shown DAP being the more favoured party with the stronger candidate compared to PKR? I think not,” he said.
DAP and PKR are clashing in Dayak-majority rural seats – Mambong, Simanggang, Ghemah, Mulu and Murum – and Chinese-majority urban seat Batu Kitang.
DAP chose to field Abdul Aziz Isa against PKR’s Voon Shiak Ni and three others in Batu Kitang after PKR authorised candidates in five other constituencies.
Ong said the survey showed Batu Kitang was clearly winnable for DAP, but it conceded the chance to contest the Kuching constituency so it can contest other rural constituencies.
This was in line with its rural focus, evidenced in the fact that it has invested in at least 50 projects in rural constituencies in the past few years, Ong said.
He said DAP was also taking significant risk and deploying much of its resources into contesting the rural seats, including Bukit Goram, Pelagus and Katibas.
“These seats are in areas with far-flung longhouses, many of which can only be accessible via longboat. The BN candidate won 78 percent of the popular vote in this seat in the 2013 general election,” he said.
