MIRI – Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) is not going to give up the Sibu parliamentary seat to coalition ally Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) without a fight, sources said.
SUPP believes the Chinese-majority constituency is its traditional seat, before opposition party DAP wrested it in 2011.
PBB is speculated to field popular Malay leader Datuk Dr Annuar Rapa’ee in Sibu for the 15th general elections, sparking an internal tussle over seat allocations. Both PBB and SUPP are members of the state ruling coalition Gabungan Parti Sarawak.
“No, we in SUPP have not given up any of our traditional seats,” a SUPP senior leader told The Vibes.
In fact, the party has proposed several locals as Sibu candidates.
"The most popular of these potential candidates in Sibu are Clarence Ting (Sibu Municipal Council chairman) and Wong Ching Yong (SUPP Dudong branch chairman). They will make strong candidates for SUPP-GPS.”
The senior leader acknowledged that the final decision on the candidate lies with GPS chairman Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg.
Annuar, who is PBB vice-president, is the assemblyman for Nangka, a part of Sibu district.
He has been telling his constituents that he is ready to fight for Sibu, no matter what candidates the GPS component parties field.
Besides PBB and SUPP, other GPS components are Parti Rakyat Sarawak and the Progressive Democratic Party.
Annuar said there is no such thing as a seat “belonging” to a certain party.
"The most important is who is the most winnable,” he said.
Other contestants for Sibu are expected to be local opposition Parti Sarawak Bersatu president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh and DAP incumbent MP Oscar Ling, who has held Sibu for two terms. – The Vibes, October 21, 2022
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