KUCHING: Deputy Chief Minister and SUPP president Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan is happy that the Barisan Nasional (BN) leadership endorsed the party’s candidate list.
“All these candidates we have chosen are winnable candidates. We are very happy that we can choose our candidates and this is very important.
“Barisan Nasional must respect the component parties in choosing their own candidates. It is important that component parties must know their own strength,” he told journalists after the announcement of BN candidates at the PBB headquarters near here yesterday.
Prior to the announcement, words travelled that BN might field Kuching City South mayor James Chan as its candidate for Padungan.
However, the announcement yesterday confirmed that SUPP Kuching branch member Sim Kiang Chiok had been endorsed to wrest the seat from the opposition.
Dr Chan, who is Piasau incumbent, admitted that having a non-member candidate contesting in any SUPP seat could put the party’s winning chances at stake.
“I am very thankful to the prime minister for believing in us, let us choose the candidates. The chairman of BN put his full trust in component parties, this principle is very important.
“Having a candidate of another source or whoever is outside the party can be very damaging and can cause a lot of unhappiness among the party members,” he said.
The seven new faces for SUPP are Sim Kiang Chiok (Padungan), Prof Dr Sim Kui Hian (Pending), Sih Hua Tong (Batu Lintang), Ling Kie King (Meradong), Chieng Buong Toon (Bukit Assek), Datuk Tiong Thai King (Dudong) and Ling Kuong Meng (Kidurong).
SUPP lost all the seven seats to DAP in the 2006 election except Dudong where Tiong will replace incumbent Datuk Dr Soon Choon Teck.
On Dudong, Dr Chan said the party submitted two names and the BN leadership decided to field Tiong.
“We have seven new faces and I’m very happy. Seven out of 19, that is almost 36 per cent meaning more than one third new.
“We have already said that we wanted to transform and this is one of the ways we are going to do it,” he said.
The SUPP incumbents are Ranum Mina (Opar), Datuk Alfred Yap (Kota Sentosa), Tan Joo Phoi (Batu Kawah), Dr Jerip Susil (Bengoh), Datuk Francis Harden Hollis (Simanggang), Dr Johnical Rayong Ngipa (Engkilili), Datuk David Teng (Repok), Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh (Bawang Assan), Vincent Goh (Pelawan), Dr Chan (Piasau), Andy Chia (Pujut) and Datuk Lee Kim Shin (Senadin).
Met before the announcement, Chieng Buong Toon, 59, described Bukit Assek as a hot seat that would absolutely be an uphill battle for him.
“I have moved in to service the people in Bukit Assek for over two years. I think I have confidence to win back the seat although it will be a tough fight,” he said. Chieng will take on DAP’s Wong Ho Leng, who is Sibu MP.
Sim Kiang Chiok, who will be battling against DAP rookie Wong King Wei in Padungan, said SUPP stood a chance to recover the seat.
“I will try my very best and we all have to work together to win back Padungan,” said the 48-year-old.
Batu Kawah incumbent Tan Joo Phoi noted that his rival DAP’s Christina Chiew is a green horn but he would not take Chiew lightly.
He admitted that he was a little taken aback when DAP announced Chiew as its candidate.
“I was surprised because she seldom moves around in the constituency. Anyway, I will do my best to defend Batu Kawah,” said Tan, who is Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office.
Kidurong new candidate Henry Ling Kuong Meng, 50, believed that BN could regain the seat despite having lost to DAP for two consecutive terms. DAP’s incumbent is Chiew Chiu Sing.
“Kidurong has been held by the opposition in the last 10 years and people there have started feeling that they need a change.
“The opposition does not voice problems faced by the people as they only talk to the press. Hence, we have a good chance and are confident of convincing people to win their support,” said Ling.
Ling Kie King, who is entrusted with wresting Meradong from DAP, believed that voters there would give him their full support as he was born and raised in Bintangor.
The 51-year-old is the assistant treasurer of SUPP Miri/Piasau branch. He has been in the party for a decade.