BINTULU – Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president Voon Lee Shan has slammed leaders of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) for calling his party a “mosquito” and “ant” outfit.
He said PBK is contesting in the Jepak state by-election to highlight the local situation affecting Sarawakians and the state’s rights in Malaysia.
He stressed that such condescending remarks against PBK and Parti Aspirasi are offensive to the ordinary people of Sarawak as they are also then “small people”.
Voon said GPS leaders should focus on responding to the people’s concerns about current issues.
“On nomination day, and even before, numerous GPS leaders had been arrogant in their words against smaller parties like PBK.
“They included Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg, who had belittled us with hurtful words.
“PBK had been publicly portrayed as a ‘mosquito’ party and ‘ant’ party,” said Voon in a statement today.
“Those words are insulting and hurtful. They offend us as a small party.”
PBK candidate Stevenson Sumbang is challenging GPS candidate Iskandar Turkee and Aspirasi candidate Chieng Lea Phing in Jepak.
PBK and Aspirasi are independent opposition parties formed only less than ten years ago.
The bigger opposition parties of Pakatan Harapan and Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) are not contesting in Jepak.
Even before nomination day, several leaders of GPS component parties had started seemingly taunting potential challengers for the Jepak seat located in the Bintulu district of northern Sarawak.
These GPS leaders had openly suggested that GPS should be allowed to win the seat uncontested because the coalition is too powerful for its opponents.
Datuk Awang Tengah Ali Hassan, deputy president of Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB), a component of GPS, had questioned whether those who intended to challenge GPS in Jepak have any chance to win at all.
GPS leader Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman said they were simply being realistic when they told the opposition parties of Aspirasi and Parti Bumi Kenyalang that they cannot win against the coalition and should just give this by-election a miss.
“We GPS are being realistic, not arrogant, as we have a formidable majority in Sarawak,” said Fazzrudin, who is also the Sarawak premier’s chief political secretary.
“Jepak has also been a state government stronghold for decades. That is why we told them (there is) no need to contest.”
Young voters
Meanwhile, Datuk Abdullah Saidol, a PBB supreme council member, characterised the by-election as the second platform for the coalition to evaluate the support of young voters for the ruling coalition party.
He said that the 15th general election (GE15), particularly for the Bintulu parliamentary constituency where Jepak is located, was the first test for the Undi18 category voters, following the enforcement of the constitutional amendment on December 15, 2021.
Undi18 refers to the parliamentary move to lower the voting age from 21 to 18.
“The young voters’ reaction was tested during the 15th general election when Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing (GPS candidate for Bintulu) had a landslide victory in this category,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama in an interview.
According to him, Jepak is one of the four state constituencies under the Bintulu parliamentary constituency that showed the highest support from young voters between 18 and 30 years old in GE15.
PBB forms the main component of GPS, which also includes three other Sarawakian parties, namely Parti Rakyat Bersatu Sarawak, Parti Rakyat Sarawak, and Parti Demokratik Progresif.
Abdullah said young registered voters can use the campaign period until November 3 to get to know Iskandar, who is a former director of the Sarawak Branch National Anti-Drug Agency.
“Take this opportunity to ask the new GPS candidate what are his views and plans for taking care of Jepak’s young people,” he said. – The Vibes, October 22, 2023
