GE15: Abang Johari satisfied with GPS achievement in Sarawak

He said this surpassed the four-party coalition's feat of winning 19 seats when contesting under Barisan Nasional (BN) in GE14 in 2018.

"Today, confirmed 21 (seats) and we should get two more to make it 23 (seats). This is a very satisfying total," he told a press conference here today.

The additional two seats he was referring to are Limbang and Baram.

The official result for Limbang could not be announced because several ballot boxes had yet to reach the tallying centre, while the election in Baram was suspended by the Election Commission (EC) due to bad weather.

Abang Johari, who is also the Sarawak Premier, said GPS had predicted the achievement ahead of the polling day with one of their components, the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) managing to deliver an additional seat with victory in Sarikei.

While describing the victories in Sri Aman and Lubot Antu as being significant for GPS, he admitted that the loss of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum in Julau was unfortunate.

Similarly, he also lamented its failure to win the Saratok parliamentary seat.

"The decision had been made by the voters. We have to accept the decision of the people. You must respect the decision of the people," he said.

Datuk Ali Biju of Perikatan Nasional-Bersatu won the Saratok seat after obtaining 19,223 votes in a three-cornered fight against GPS' Giendam Jonathan Tait (10,397 votes), and Pakatan Harapan's Ibil Jaya (1,221 votes), who lost his deposit.

Abang Johari admitted that there was a possibility of another coalition Federal Government being formed following the results of the GE15 so far, with none of the contesting parties having a clear lead or dominant numbers.

-- BERNAMA