KUCHING – It looks like Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) is jumping the gun by erecting its party flags before campaigning kicks off tomorrow.
The flags at Kuching South City Council areas have so far earned the ire of two opposition politicians who demand that mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng remove them.
In a live Facebook post, state DAP chief Chong Chieng Jen said the mayor is practising double standards by allowing caretaker coalition GPS an early start to campaigning for the December 18 state election.
Chong said the council had on November 29 issued a directive to all political parties to remove their flags and other election paraphernalia in areas under the council’s jurisdiction, as the campaign period only begins tomorrow after candidates are nominated.
“How is it that flags belonging to the GPS coalition are already up and flying?
“The mayor must practise what he preaches, and be responsible. This is a bad example set by GPS for others to emulate.
“In fact, my party men have told me that we, too, should put up our flags – but I told them we shall not break the law, that we must keep to the rules of the electoral process.
“I have cautioned my party workers not to put up any flags or other election insignia before nomination day tomorrow. That is why there are no DAP flags yet in Padungan, because we are following the prescribed regulations. No dirty tactics with us,” Chong said, urging the mayor to remove the GPS flags immediately.
Meanwhile, Parti Aspirasi Rakyat Sarawak president Lina Soo in a statement called on Wee, the GPS candidate for Padungan, to take down the flags without further delay.
Both Soo and Chong are contesting for the Padungan seat, which is expected to see a multi-cornered fight.
Soo said there must not be one set of laws for the opposition, and another set of laws that favours GPS candidates.
Padungan is a DAP stronghold left vacant following the resignation of DAP representative Wong King Wei from the party last year. – The Vibes, December 5, 2021
