KUCHING: SUPP’s unofficial candidates list for the upcoming 14th general election (GE14) was unveiled when a source close to SUPP inner cycle revealed the names of the party’s proposed candidates for its seven parliamentary seats.
Leading the charge this time around is SUPP president Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian who has been named one of three potential candidates for Stamping.
“Although his name was third on the list, Dr Sim could be endorsed to contest for the BN as he has the best chance to wrest Stampin from the DAP,” the source told The Borneo Post here yesterday.
Kapitan Lim Chuan Chan
However, the source cautioned that fielding Dr Sim could be against BN’s policy of discouraging a member from serving as state assemblyperson and a member of Parliament at the same time, considering that Dr Sim is a state assemblyman (for Batu Kawah) and a member of the State Cabinet.
“It will be very interesting to observe who will be BN’s candidate for Stampin because at the end of the day, BN would want at least one Chinese MP to represent SUPP in Parliament. In this case, Dr Sim stands a very good chance to win Stampin for the BN,” the source pointed out.
Also in the list of proposed candidates for Stampin are lawyer Wilfred Yap and Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) chairman Lo Khere Chiang.
As for Serian, the list mentioned only Human Resources Minister Dato Sri Richard Riot Jaem, who is also SUPP deputy president, as the proposed candidate for the Bidayuh-majority seat.
“However, as in any normal practice for any election, BN will normally submit at least three names per constituency to prevent a last minute setback,” the source added.
The source believes that at least 15 per cent of Chinese voters will swing back to BN in GE14 due to the ‘Mahathir effect’.
“He was the epitome of all the negative things the opposition were against when he led the country for 22 years. But now that he is leading them, suddenly all those negative things and what he has been accused of are suddenly ‘washed off’ and he is now so pure.
“Is the opposition trying to confuse the people by applying a different standard of the so-called ‘belief value’ whenever a BN leader joins them? Then, whoever leaders they have been accusing of being corrupted will suddenly be ‘washed clean’ if they switch camp tomorrow.
Kapitan David Chan
“So I hope the educated and young Chinese voters can be wise enough to decide for themselves and not be blinded by the ‘perception game’ played by the opposition. We cannot oppose just for the sake of opposing. We must know what is good for our community in Sarawak,” the source emphasised.
Because of the high possibility of urban Chinese making a comeback to BN, the source believed that this time around, BN could even make a clean sweep of all the seats except for Bandar Kuching.
“However, it will be very tough to win back Bandar Kuching because the Chinese community might still prefer incumbent Chong Chieng Jen to continue his ‘check and balance’ role in Parliament,” the source said.
Milton Foo, political secretary to the chief minister Tan Khai and businessman Sim Kiang Chiok have been listed as SUPP’s proposed candidates for Bandar Kuching.
But two Chinese community leaders, namely Kapitan Lim Chuan Chan and Kapitan David Chan, stressed that Kuching South City Council (MBKS) mayor Dato James Chan stood a better chance of defeating Chong.
“We believe that Mayor Chan stands a good chance to win back Bandar Kuching because he has been proactive in assisting the people in MBKS especially petty traders and stall operators. Before this, most of these people were in the opposition, but now, most of them are pro-government,” they said.
In Sarikei, only the name of a political secretary to the chief minister Ung Woo Teng was mentioned.
“And as far as the two seats in Sibu are concerned, we leave it to the top BN leadership to decide whether they will field our candidates or UPP-nominated candidates, as long as they can deliver both seats for the ruling coalition,” the source said.
Nevertheless, SUPP has nominated SUPP Dudong branch chief Wong Ching Yong, SUPP Dudong branch deputy chairman Kelvin Kong and SUPP Bukit Assek Youth chief Joseph Chieng for Lanang and Michael Tiang, Robert Lau Hui Yew and Chieng Buong Toon for Bandar Sibu.
As for Miri, SUPP has nominated Miri Mayor Adam Yii and Piasau assemblyman Datuk Sebastian Ting who is SUPP secretary-general to wrest the seat from the state PKR sole parliamentarian Dr Michael Teo.
While SUPP has unveiled its candidates list, it has been observed that in every general election, there are always too many candidates vying for limited number of seats, against a popular bible saying ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few’.
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