KUCHING: PKR members in Sarawak have been urged to view the current political situation in the state as an opportunity to regroup and strengthen themselves for future challenges.
Incumbent PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli said that, given Sarawakians’ current preference for the existing state government, party members should use this period as an opportunity to ‘invest’ in cultivating a new generation of party leaders.
“This low point in our political cycle is a good time for us to invest in the party’s future. Use this period to develop new talent, because the cycle will turn and our time will come,” he said at the Hidupkan Idealisme Reformasi Dalam Ujian Kuasa (HIRUK) Tour programme last night.
According to him, based on PKR’s performance in past elections in Sarawak, the party has shown potential to win at least three parliamentary seats in the future.
“Miri is indeed our stronghold here in Sarawak, but there are also two or three other parliamentary constituencies with real potential,” he said, citing Kanowit, Selangau, and Puncak Borneo as among the promising seats.
In the 15th General Election (GE15), PKR successfully retained the Miri parliamentary seat for three consecutive terms since GE13 in 2013.
Rafizi said that PKR had previously won the Selangau and Puncak Borneo parliamentary seats, and narrowly lost the Kanowit seat in the GE15.
He added that whoever is elected in the party election on May 23 should give serious attention to the concerns raised by members in Sarawak, particularly in ensuring the party remains relevant in the state.
