The banner of DAP Sibu displayed on Sunday. On the left is the picture of Ho Leng and on the right are the current DAP leaders.
SIBU: The first anniversary of the death of former Sarawak DAP chairman Wong Ho Leng was remembered by party leaders and members at two grand events on Sunday.
DAP Sibu first hosted the opening of their branch administrative office at Rejang Park in the afternoon and in the evening they hosted a political (ceramah) talk.
Among the leaders attending were DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang, Kluang MP Liew Chin Tong, Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen and DAP Sibu leaders including Pelawan assemblyman David Wong, Dudong assemblyman Yap Hoi Liong, Lanang MP Alice Lau and Sibu MP Oscar Ling.
Chong confirmed during their ceramah of the two events that were being held in memory of Ho Leng, who died of brain tumour on June 21 last year.
“We gather not to remember his death. We host the two events on this day to celebrate the life of Wong Ho Leng.”
He said that was why the opening of DAP Sibu branch office was held that day, and that they named the conference room ‘Ho Leng Hall’.
Sibu DAP has just bought a shop lot in Rejang Park to serve as their administrative centre, and it was declared open on Sunday afternoon.
The seed of this dream in owning a building was sown by Ho Leng after the 2013 parliamentary election when he announced in their victory banquet of their wish to have a shop lot of their own.
Ho Leng said then the party branch in Sibu was expanding and they needed a ‘home’ for a sense of belonging and for carrying out their administrative work.
In his speech during the Rejang Park talk on Sunday, Liew paid tribute to Ho Leng, saying his life might not be long, but he did shine in his three decades of commitment that saw the political landscape of Sarawak changed.
“When Ho Leng was the Sibu MP, he sat next to me in parliament. We were neighbours and buddies.”
He said the opposition party in Sarawak had gone through the low period after it was established in 1978.
“Under his leadership, Ho Leng built the party’s strength as he pooled young blood together and trained them. This took Sarawak DAP up the ladder. Ho Leng might have left us, but, his spirit lives on as we continue the political journey.”
Liew said DAP Sibu must continue to play its key political role, adding it had been steering the political wind of change in the country. He said the political wind of change had always begun in Sarawak, particularly in Sibu, and this wind had swept significantly across the nation, leading to the opposition’s historic victory in the 2013 general election.
Liew said it began in 2006 when Sarawak won a parliamentary seat (Bandar Kuching).
“Then, in Sibu parliamentary by-election in 2010, DAP wrested the BN stronghold. In the 2011 state election, DAP Sarawak went on to win 11 state seats.”
He said this wind of change then swept across the nation, adding it spiralled into an opposition victory in the 2013 parliamentary election.
“As I said, the political wind of change in Sarawak and Sibu has always steered the political direction of Malaysia.”
Liew called on Sarawak DAP to stir up a stronger wind in the coming state election that must be called by next June so that it would pave the way again for the next parliamentary election.