Sarawak BN chairman Datuk Abang Johari Openg is all smiles after BN won 19 out of 31 Parliamentary seats contested in Sarawak, May 10, 2018. — Bernama pic

KUCHING, May 10 — With the state election about three years away, the big question in Sarawak now is whether the state BN parties will switch allegiance to Pakatan Harapan.

Sarawak BN chairman Datuk Abang Johari Openg is keeping his lips sealed about the Pakatan government until it is formed.

“No. No comment. It (the Pakatan government) has not been formed,” the chief minister said when met in the lobby of Wisma Bapa Malaysia, the state government complex.

He also kept mum when contacted early this morning on whether he supported Pakatan Harapan chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the next prime minister.

Johari was scheduled to hold a press conference at 11am but carried it forward by 30 minutes before cancelling it completely after it was confirmed that Dr Mahathir will not be sworn in today.

The state coalition won 19 of 31 contested seats in yesterday’s polls, its worst defeat since the last general election when the Opposition bagged six seats.

Sarawak BN has 71 of 82 seats in the state legislative assembly, many of which would be under threat as the state would no longer have the support of a federal machinery.

Parti Rakyat Sarawak president Tan Sri James Masing was, however, confident that the state BN parties will stay loyal to the coalition.

He felt that Pakatan was now facing difficulties forming the next government and this, he said, were far bigger problems than what BN was facing now.

“All BN has to do now is to watch how they (Pakatan) move because a lot of their problems are self-created.

“They may be sleeping in the same bed but they don’t dream the same dreams.

“There is a difference between what DAP wants, what Mahathir wants, what PKR wants and what Amanah wants. They will not be able to keep it together.”

He agreed that the next state election would be crucial for the state BN.

“Of course it is but it is also crucial for Pakatan. Can they stay together in the next five years? I doubt it very much,” said Masing, who is a deputy chief minister.