GE14: Stiff fight expected between SUPP, DAP in Stampin
KUCHING, April 24 (Bernama) -- When it was announced that Sarawak United People´s Party (SUPP) president Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian will contest in the Stampin parliamentary seat in the 14th general election (GE14), it was met with "wow" by the audience present.
The reaction, following state BN chairman Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg´s announcement today. was understandable, because if everything goes as planned, Dr Sim will face Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chien Jen, the three-term Bandar Kuching Member of Parliament.
The SUPP had performed dismally in the 13th general election when of seven seats contested, it only managed to retain the Serian parliamentary seat, but things started looking up after Dr Sim took over the party leadership in 2014 and by forging good cooperation with the then Sarawak Chief Minister the late Tan Sri Adenan Satem, the SUPP regained its edge.
In the 11th Sarawak state election, the SUPP managed to spring a few surprises by reducing the number of DAP seats from 12 to only seven; and of the three state seats under the DAP-controlled Stampin parliamentary constituency, two were recaptured by the SUPP.
In the Stampin parliamentary constituency, only the Kota Sentosa state seat still belongs to DAP, while the Batu Kawah and Batu Kitang state seats were won by Dr Sim and Lo Khere Chiang, also from SUPP.
Dr Sim , when met by reporters after the announcement, said he was not afraid to face Chong and believed the voters would be able to evaluate his efforts and struggles with SUPP, all for the benefit of the people of Sarawak.
Meanwhile, on the issue of seat distribution between SUPP and its splinter party United People´s Party (UPP), and based on Abang Johari´s announcement today, some of the candidates announced who were from UPP, were to contest under SUPP tickets, especially in central of Sarawak.
This development is seen will further enhance voters´ support especially among the Chinese community towards the SUPP and this indirectly will increase BN´s potential to capture more seats in Sarawak.
Even UPP president Datuk Seri Dr Wong Soon Koh´s son, Datuk Wong Kee Yew @Andrew Wong will be contesting the Sibu parliamentary seat under the SUPP ticket.
In the meantime, apart from Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun who was dropped, other federal ministers continued to gain support to defend their respective seats, namely, Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof (Petra Jaya); Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim (Batang Lupar); Minister in the Prime Minister´s Department Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri (Batang Sadong); Natural Resources and Environment Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (Santubong) and Human Resource Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot (Serian).
Looking at the Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB), though the list of candidates did not appear to be a big suprise, one name gained which attracted the people´s attention was Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib, daughter of Sarawak Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud, to contest for the Mukah parliamentary seat.
As for the other BN component parties, Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing was visibly in good mood when the number of seats to be contested by the party´s candidates remained at four.
The party, formerly known as the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP), had previously experienced an internal crisis in 2014 that prompted its former president Tan Sri William Mawan to step down and formed the Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (Teras) party.
Mawan then contested as an independent candidate in the 2016 state election as a prerequisite to be eligible to contest under a BN ticket, and he had also publicly expressed his interest to defend Saratok in GE14, but Abang Johari´s announcement today saw PDP´s candidate Jagah@Subeng Mula nominated for the Saratok seat instead.
-- BERNAMA
