Clashes between PKR and DAP were among reasons touted by many for Pakatan Harapan’s devastating defeat in the Sarawak state election.
However, detailed election results published by the Election Commission show that neither Pakatan Harapan parties would defeat BN, even in straight fights.
For example, in Batu Kitang, BN’s Lo Khere Chiang came out victor in the the multi-cornered tussle with PKR’s Voon Shiak Ni, DAP’s Abdul Aziz Isa and two other independent candidates.
While the two independent candidates made little difference, only securing 105 votes collectively, Voon and Abdul Aziz only secured a collective 5,509 compared to Lo’s 6,466 votes.
However, the results does echo the Merdeka Centre survey commissioned by PKR and DAP to iron out the seat allocations based on favourability among voters.
According to the survey conducted prior to the polls, 60 percent of Batu Kitang voters polled favoured DAP over BN while only eight percent said the same for PKR.
Abdul Aziz’s 4,626 votes by far surpassed Voon’s, who only managed to garner 883 votes in the constituency located in the capital city of Kuching.
PKR had earlier tried to debunk the Merdeka Center survey as a factor for DAP to contest in Batu Kitang, pointing out that the results no longer apply as it was conducted in January.
Voon’s party had then cited a survey conducted by Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) from April 27 to May 1 which found that she was preferred over Abdul Aziz in the Chinese-majority seat.
The Mambong constituency, on the other hand, saw BN’s Jerip Susil winning the seat with 6,161 votes over the combined votes of PKR’s Willie Mongin and DAP’s Sanjan Daik, who polled 5,473 collectively.
Merdeka Center had stated that both PKR and DAP were equally favoured against BN in the constituency.
Independent candidates outshine DAP, PKR
The results showed Sanjan garnering only 183 votes more than Willie who had received 2,645 votes altogether, showcasing the little difference the two had in terms of support.
The state seats of Simanggang and Ngemah, on the other hand, saw their independent candidates making a significant impact.
BN’s Simanggang candidate Francis Harden Hollis won 4,094 votes while PKR’s Norina Umoi Utot and DAP’s Leon Jimat Donald lost their deposits.
Independent candidate Ngu Piew Seng, however, garnered a significant 2,706 votes.
The same was the case for independent candidate Joseph Jawa Kendawang who obtained 2,734 votes for the Ngemah state seat.
Although BN’s Alexander Vincent won, he only garnered 2,888 votes while both PKR and DAP candidates lost their deposits.
The state seats of Murum and Mulu, too, saw their BN candidates winning with votes that number in the three thousands while DAP and PKR could only muster half of that put together.
As for arch-rivals PAS and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah), although the two parties mostly contested in Malay-Melanau majority areas, both had failed to make significant inroads.
Even if the two parties had avoided clashing with one another, BN’s candidates in the seats of Samariang, Muara Tuang, Sadong Jaya, Sebuyau and Beting Maro still trumped them in all the seats.
BN’s Samariang candidate Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali won 9,795 votes as opposed to PAS candidate’s Yusof Assidiqqi Ahmad Sharkawi and Amanah’s Nani Sahari who received 2,035 and 389 votes respectively.
The seat of Muara Tuang also saw BN’s Idris Buang trumping PAS’ Zulkipli Ramzi and Amanah’s Abang Abdul Halil Abang Naili with a 7,813-vote majority.
PAS, which contested in 11 constituencies and Amanah who fielded 13 candidates did not win any of the seats the parties contested.
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