PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has claimed that several Sarawak Barisan Nasional elected representatives are committed to joining the opposition party.
"Believe me, they have signed letters to withdraw their membership from their parties and applied to join PKR," the opposition leader told more than 3,000 people during a PKR dinner at the Eastwood Valley Golf and Country Club in Miri last night.
Without naming them, he told the dinner gathering, one of the largest ever held by any political party in the northern region, the announcement on the new cross-overs would be made at the appropriate time .
He said one particular elected representative from a state BN component party has been facing harassment and would therefore have to choose an appropriate time to make the announcement.
Sources told Malaysiakini that Special Branch officers have been trying to get in touch with the state assemblyperson, a Dayak from one of the state BN component parties and he has been making himself scarce lately following talks about him joining PKR.
He was expected to turn up at the PKR dinner and to be introduced as another elected representative joining the opposition party.
Tide is turning
Earlier, Anwar told the audience that the tide was now turning against BN and he was confident that Pakatan Rakyat parties would be supported by the people of all races.
On native customary rights (NCR) land, which he said was being taken away from the people and sold to companies, Anwar promised that PKR would constantly raise the issue until it was resolved.
During the dinner, the PKR de facto leader also received 3,000 new membership applications, mainly from the Orang Ulu communities, in the Miri region.
Among those who attended were several PKR elected representatives from Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak and party members from Sabah and the rest of Sarawak from as far as Kapit and Kuching.
In the afternoon, Anwar was given a big welcome at the Miri airport on his arrival from Kuala Lumpur via Kuching. The welcoming party was led by PKR Miri branch chairperson Dr Michael Teo.
Another big PKR dinner gathering will be held in Kuching in the second week of January.
Tony Thien
15/12/08
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