THREESOME: (From left) Soo, See and Sih shake hands at the nomination centre.
KUCHING: Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) Batu Lintang candidate See Chee How is hopeful that independent candidate Soo Lina would withdraw from the race.
He was obviously not pleased with the prospect of a three-cornered fight with Soo and BN-SUPP candidate Sih Hua Tong.
Nominated for Batu Lintang after it was swapped for Padungan with DAP, See said he was confident of winning over the voters.
Asked if Soo’s presence was causing a split in opposition votes, See said he believed voters were intelligent enough to make a decision.
“I am confident of my voters. They are mature enough to make a wise choice – doesn’t matter if there is any independent candidate.
“It is between BN and the opposition. You want BN to continue ruling the state or not? If your answer is no, vote for the opposition,” urged See.
He said he respected Soo as a candidate as she had the democratic right to participate. But his advice was that there were still three days for her to withdraw.
Asked whether Soo could draw women’s votes, See said it was nothing personal and nothing to do with gender. The fact was people now had the political awareness to look at the broader scope, the whole situation.
He said the upper middle and higher class of Batu Lintang comprising the intellectual group were concerned about the existing problems under the prevailing policies like land grab, corruption, Chinese and mission schools, flood and power abuse.
Sih who was met at the nomination centre said although SUPP was defeated in Batu Lintang five years ago, its members did not stop helping the people.
“We did not give any excuse and we go to the ground serving people. But we faced some difficulties in raising certain issues
under the prevailing circumstances,” he said.
Sih said after five years, people could see what the opposition party had done, and he thought the Batu Lintang voters would give BN a chance this time.
Sih believes it will be a tough fight but he has the support of party members and friends.
On his chances of winning, he said he respected voters’ choice and their rights.
Soo meanwhile is an MBA holder, single mother and former PKR member.
She claimed she was not paid by BN to split the opposition votes but had participated out of her interest for democratic politics. Her funds were raised by friends.
Lawyer See, also 47, was proposed by Tan Whai Lim and seconded by Franklin Tan Yiin Shuo.
Sih, 47, was proposed by Lim Swee Chiaw and seconded by Liao Soon Hee.
Soo, 53, was proposed by Kong Nai Eng and seconded by Minah Mahlie.
The Batu Lintang candidates were announced by returning officer Elizabeth Loh at the nomination centre here around 11am yesterday.
There was no objection to any candidate during the objection period.