To ensure that this happens, the Sarawak-based party has decided not to contest in the Chinese-majority constituency, which has about 43,000 registered voters. Nearly 90% of the voters are Chinese.

STAR president Lina Soo said her party wanted to see as many seats as possible going to the opposition.

“We would like to avoid multi-cornered fights which would only benefit BN and reduce the chances of the opposition. STAR wants to play a role in helping to secure more seats in Sarawak for Pakatan Harapan (PH), hence the decision to stay out of the Stampin fight,” she told FMT.

Soo’s change of stand could be due to her failure in previous elections as she had lost her deposit in all her electoral outings.

She described Stampin as a grey area for the opposition. The seat, which will be contested by a DAP candidate, is seen as a “risky one” for the party as some 10,000 voters have been shifted out of the constituency to Bandar Kuching.

“A lot of voters from Stampin have been moved to Bandar Kuching, which might enable BN to wrest Stampin back,” she added.

Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) chief Dr Sim Hui Kian is widely tipped to be the BN candidate for Stampin.

The DAP candidate meanwhile is Dr Kelvin Yii. His candidacy was recently announced by the party.

Soo also shot down accusations that her party had been paid by BN to split PH and make it easier for the ruling coalition in its attempt to win back lost seats.

“No, these are all rumours. We are a responsible party and cannot be bought by anyone. Our funds are purely from our members and no one is financing or sponsoring us.”

The STAR president, nevertheless, said her party might put up candidates in seats where it stood a chance.

“Our party will seek to contest seats where we have our resources, and where our political message will best be heard. STAR is not here for one election, but for the long haul, where our political cause for justice for Sarawak and our rights is our core agenda,” she said.