Chong (second right) presents the letter of authorisation to Wong. — Photo by Kong Jun Liung
KUCHING: DAP Sarawak will go for 30 seats come the 11th state election, with the names of its candidates except for Baleh revealed.
Its chairman Chong Chieng Jen, who announced the list of its 29 candidates during a press conference here yesterday, said 16 of them would be new faces.
The new faces are Abdul Aziz Isa who will be standing in Stakan, Sanjan Daik (Mambong), Andrew Nyabe (Kedup), Yong Siew Wei (Repok), Rinda Juliza Alexander (Pakan), Richard Lias (Ngemah), Irene Mary Chang (Bukit Assek), Chiew Sung Ngie (Bawang Assan), Frankie Bendindang (Pelagus), Paren Nyawi (Katibas), Larry Asap (Bukit Goram), Kenneth Adan Silek (Murum), Leighton Manjah (Kemena), Baba Emperan (Samalaju), Dr Ting Tiong Choon (Pujut) and Paul Raja (Mulu).
While Chong is to defend Kota Sentosa, all its former assemblymen and assemblywomen will be defending their respective seats.
They are Wong King Wei (Padungan), Violet Yong (Pending), Christina Chiew (Batu Kawa), Ting Tze Fui (Meradong), Yap Hoi Liong (Dudong), David Wong (Pelawan), Chiew Chiu Sing (Tanjong Batu) and Alan Ling (Piasau).
The other candidates announced by Chong are Mordi Bimol for Tasik Biru, Edward Luwak (Bukit Semuja), Leon Jimat (Simanggang) and Baru Langub (Senadin).
According to Chong, the list shows “a slight variation” from what he has previously announced due to a change at the eleventh hour.
He said DAP decided to take on Bukit Goram following Larry Sng’s announcement to quit as SWP president Wednesday evening.
“I contacted SWP secretary general late yesterday evening and they confirmed that they would not be contesting in Bukit Goram, therefore we pulled our candidate from Baleh to Bukit Goram.
“For Bukit Goram, it’s one Larry in, one Larry out,” he said, adding that during their negotiations DAP, PKR and SWP had agreed that Sng would stand in Bukit Goram.
Chong said DAP was left with no choice but to field Larry Asap in Bukit Goram due to Sng’s last minute pull-out.
He added that PKR was aware of DAP claiming Bukit Goram while pointing out that the seat “is not within the 40 seats announced by PKR.”
On Baleh, he said DAP had a potential candidate for the seat but the name would be announced only “in a day or two.”
Asked whether this would be the final list, he said “anything is possible in politics but as of now this is final.”
Chong said the party had a mixture of urban and rural candidates and different races that reflected DAP as multi-racial and multi-demographic.
He said it also marked the very first time that DAP would be fielding many Dayak candidates and six women candidates.
Asked how many Dayak seats DAP was confident of winning, he quipped: “We only contest where we are confident of winning.”
On talks that PKR was also eyeing Mulu, Chong said: “Well, we have an agreement, and we abide by the agreement. We hope PKR will do the same.”
After the press conference, all the 29 candidates of DAP received the letters of authorisation signed by Chong.