Julau voters want local candidate in place of ‘imported’ MP — Wong

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MELUAN assemblyman Wong Judat raised eyebrows in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting yesterday when he openly said that voters in Julau wanted a local as a candidate for the coming parliamentary election.

So far in the current DUN sitting, no Barisan Nasional (BN) assemblyman has openly mentioned the matter of candidates for the coming general election.

“In the coming 13th general election, I as a voter in P209 Julau represent the people in the Julau parliamentary constituency in voicing their desire to see a local contest as BN’s candidate,” he told the DUN when debating the Head of State’s address.

Julau is currently held by Datuk Joseph Salang from Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), where Meluan is part of the state seat.

Wong said he has heard and seen the voters there wanting a change from the present candidate, adding that the area has been represented by an ‘imported’ person for the past four terms.

“For the information of our beloved Chief Minister (Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud) and Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak), what happened in Julau is not that the people do not support BN, but they want a change from the present candidate,” Wong said.

He further said that the people in Julau did not wish to interfere in the selection of candidates for other BN component parties.

“Let the people in Julau be the ‘towkay’ the elected representative the ‘kuli’ and BN the employer in Julau.”

On another matter, Wong suggested that the state assemblyman or Member of Parliament be given the honour and invited for discussion on every project to be carried out in his or her constituency.

He also suggested that elected representatives be given power similar to that of the Public Works Department and District office, to approve projects.