MIRI – Gabungan Parti Sarawak’s (GPS) move to field mayors to contest against Sarawak DAP stalwarts in Kuching and Miri will generate keen fights, said a GPS veteran politician.
Datuk Peter Minos said that mayors are local figures known by the people and hence it was a good strategy to field them as candidates in the impending Sarawak election.
“GPS is making a good move in placing them to fight DAP in the hot seats.
“To nominate them against the DAP chiefs will generate keen fights,” he told The Vibes.
The mayors of Kuching City South and Miri are running as candidates for the Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) on December 18.
SUPP, a component party of GPS, submitted the names of mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng for the Padungan seat in Kuching district and mayor Adam Yii for Pujut seat in Miri.
Wee and Yii, both two-term mayors in their respective cities, have not been tested as candidates before.
Padungan and Pujut were won by the opposition during the state election five years ago.
The incumbent in Padungan is Wong King Wei, who won in 2016 on a DAP ticket but quit the party two years ago to become independent, leading Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chien Jen to contest in Padungan himself.
Meanwhile, the Pujut incumbent was DAP’s Ting Tiong Choon, who won the seat in 2016, beating Barisan Nasional’s Hii King Chiong. He was, however, disqualified two years ago due to a dispute over his alleged Australian citizenship.
The Pujut seat has been left vacant since. With that, Sarawak DAP will be fielding its secretary Alan Ling to fight Yii for the constituency.
Minos, who is Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu deputy information chief, said mayors are familiar with local issues as well.
“They know their ‘kawasan’ well and their duties as mayor see them serving their residents.
“They know the local issues and can tackle the things raised by the opposition.
“They may even create upsets (against) DAP,” he said.
GPS controls 68 of the 82 state seats now, with opposition parties Parti Sarawak Bersatu having six, DAP five, Bersatu one, independent one with one vacant seat in Pujut.
Nomination for the Sarawak election falls on December 6 and polling on December 18. – The Vibes, December 4, 2021
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