MIRI, Dec 29 ― Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan is confident that Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) will be triumphant in the next state election, citing "good vibes” from his travels across Sarawak.

He said the state ruling coalition’s track record in delivering its promises as well as its Sarawak-first approach would ‘drown out the political noise from the Opposition’.

"I have good vibes from my extensive travel to all nooks and corners of the state and I believe that when the election dust settles, GPS would be returned to form the next state government and (Datuk Patinggi) Abang Johari (Tun Openg) would again lead as our Chief Minister.

"The response to GPS is good,” he said during a Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) rally for its Senadin, Pujut and Piasau branches, here on Sunday night.

GPS, which comprises PBB, Parti Rakyat Sarawak, Sarawak United People’s Party and Progressive Democratic Party, currently holds 68 of the 82 state seats. Its main challengers in the next polls are expected to be Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Parti Sarawak Bersatu.

Awang Tengah said GPS remained a politically autonomous entity, whose support for Perikatan Nasional to form the federal government had helped end the political turmoil in the country, following the collapse of the PH administration in February this year.

He stressed that GPS would fight to ensure that the state would be able to chart its own course in the best interest of Sarawakians, and to maintain political stability through cooperation and compromise.

"Communal or race-based politics in Sarawak is unrealistic as no one race can form the majority to rule on its own,” he added. ― Borneo Post