MIRI – PKR in Miri, Sarawak, have denied that the party here is split over its candidate for the seat after incumbent and local favourite Dr Michael Teo was dropped.
Teo, who is PKR Miri branch chief, denied that his supporters are rebelling against the party’s top brass over the decision to field newbie candidate Chiew Choon Man instead.
“Please ignore those messages that are being circulated. We in PKR Miri are united behind the new candidate.
“I have no grudges against anyone despite being suddenly dropped as the GE15 Miri candidate. I have told my supporters to look ahead and support the party and the new candidate,” he told The Vibes.
Party leaders had advised him to make way “due to health reasons”, he added, and he had accepted their decision.
“I had wanted to retire quite a few years ago,” Teo said.
Chiew is PKR Sarawak Youth chief and is 31 years old.
“I was asked by the party's top leaders to give way to the new candidate, to give the young man a chance to continue winning Miri for PKR which I had held for the past two terms.
“So I agreed that I should retire from the public election arena.”
Teo added that among his plans, had he been fielded again and won, would be to get a cancer ward established in Miri Hospital and get housing developers and the government to build cheaper homes in Miri.
Teo’s name had been on Sarawak Pakatan Harapan's list of candidates for GE15, but at the final announcement by PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim last Tuesday, the two-term MP’s name was not mentioned and Chiew was named instead.
Chiew is facing Datuk Lawrence Lai who is the candidate for Parti Sarawak Bersatu and Jeffery Phang who is Gabungan Parti Sarawak candidate in a three-cornered fight in Miri. – The Vibes, November 8, 2022
