Party chiefs to battle it out in Stampin 

 April 28, 2018, Saturday

Dr Sim (left) shakes hands with Chong after the announcement.

KUCHING: It’s a straight fight between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Democratic Action Party (DAP) in Chinese-majority Stampin parliamentary constituency.

Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) president Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian is taking on DAP Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen, who is a three-term (2004, 2008 and 2013 general elections) MP for Bandar Kuching.

Returning officer Elizabeth Loh announced the candidacy at Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) at 11.15am today.

Dr Sim, 52, a cardiolgist, was first elected as the Batu Kawah assemblyman in the 2016 state election and is Local Government and Housing Minister while Chong, 47, a lawyer, is a three-term (2006, 2011 and 2016 state elections) Kota Sentosa assemblyman.

Both Batu Kawah and Kota Sentosa state seats fall under the Stampin parliamentary constituency. The other state seat that also comes under Stampin is Batu Kitang, which is presently held by BN-SUPP Lo Khere Chiang.

BN-SUPP lost Stampin to the DAP for the first time in the last general election when then Deputy Works Minister Datuk Yong Khoon Seng, who is a five-term MP for the seat, was defeated by DAP’s greenhorn Julian Tan by a whopping 18,670 vote-majority in a three-cornered battle that also involved STAR’s Lina Soo.

Prior to the nomination from 9am, traffic began backing up outside Kota Padawan as early as 7.30am as supporters packed into the commercial areas and coffee shops adjacent to MPP.

In bee territory, the ground that isn’t already grass is made up of splashes of BN blue and SUPP yellow. The hive certainly made a showing.

Over in rocket territory, it was a bit more sedated. Supporters filled a kopitiam and the area outside it as familiar faces including the incumbent for Stampin Julian Tan.

Supporters from both sides flocked with to the gates of MPP before releasing them to the hands of Election Commision (EC).