Pemanca Ko Wai Neng
KUCHING: It does not matter who are put up as candidates in the coming general election (GE14) as long as they are capable of recouping the seats lost by the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) in the previous general election.
In pointing this out yesterday, Pemanca Ko Wai Neng said the Chinese community was delighted to note that both SUPP and United People’s Party (UPP) had taken the first step towards working together for greater unity.
He believed that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) recently inked between SUPP and UPP would help both parties in identifying the most winnable candidates for Barisan Nasional (BN) in GE14.
He said all the Chinese community in the state ever hoped for was for BN to win back those seats which fell into the hands of the opposition in the 2013 general election.
The seats are Bandar Kuching, Stampin, Sarikei, Sibu, Lanang (presently held by Democratic Action Party) and Miri (Parti Keadilan Rakyat).
“People in general particularly those middle-aged and older individuals want to continue seeing a stable government because a developing country like Malaysia needs stability to spur economic development to benefit people from all social strata.
“A government that has been in power for many years is bound to have its own weaknesses and shortcomings but I believe there is always room for improvement.
“They (BN government) can do better in terms of policy-making and other aspects for as long as they put their mind to it. Candidly, I think a drastic change is too aggressive,” he said when contacted here.
Ko, who is Kuching Kwong Wai Siew Association deputy chairman, believed that the MoU would not have come about if not for the efforts of Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg in engaging discussions with both SUPP and UPP.
He said constituents should take reality into account and think twice before casting their votes in the forthcoming polls.
He added that the Chinese community truly hoped that SUPP and UPP were sincere about achieving the objectives of the MoU.
“Leaders of both parties should keep an open mind when it comes to recommending the most winnable candidates to BN. Do not contest just for the sake of contesting.
“We must be realistic and more importantly set aside personal agenda when it comes to identifying the right candidates. The bottom line should still be serving the community with a sincere heart rather than focusing on ‘putting my own men there’,” he pointed out.
Ko felt that defeated candidates who continued to serve the people “should be given extra score” and their efforts ought to be acknowledged.
He said having a candidate or an elected representative who put service before everything else mattered more to the community.
“After all, what we do need is someone who is willing to serve the people in a sincere manner,” he added.