Lucky breakfast before march to nomination centres

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The four candidates with their ‘Bao Zhong’ breakfast. From left are Yap, Chiew, Chang and Wong.

The four candidates with their ‘Bao Zhong’ breakfast. From left are Yap, Chiew, Chang and Wong.

SIBU: DAP’s four candidates in Sibu began their election race by getting together in their office at Rejang Park for a traditional lucky breakfast yesterday.

The four were incumbent David Wong for Pelawan, incumbent Yap Hoi Liong for Dudung, green horn Stanley Chiew for Bawang Assan and first-timer Irene Chang for Bukit Assek.

They gathered at the centre at 7am and were served breakfast dishes which carry the traditional symbol for luck.

The breakfast included steamed buns and steamed glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves.

In Mandarin, the steamed buns are called ‘Bao’ and the glutinous rice dish, ‘Zhong’, the two combining to give ‘Bao Zhong’ which means ‘Definitely will win’.

Besides the auspicious dishes, the candidates were also served winter solstice glutinous rice balls called ‘Tang Yuan’ sprinkled with crushed peanuts and rice vermicelli in preserved vegetable soup.

The winter festive dish is a traditional delicacy served to symbolise ‘completeness’ in an undertaking while the rice vermicelli Called ‘Hoon Ngan’ in Foochow is a traditional dish to bless the undertakers to set out in peace.

A party member said yesterday morning: “The party has been serving candidates these traditional dishes in past elections to bring them luck and blessings, and we carry on the practice in this election.”

The candidates gathered at 7am, and after their brief breakfast of luck, they started leaving by 7.30am,  heading to their respective nomination centres.

Wong told The Borneo Post they kept a low profile and headed to the nomination centres individually because “what is important today is filing in the nomination papers successfully.”

Among the four candidates, the march to the nomination centre for Yap at Tai Kwang School was a bit noisier and livelier.

When he arrived, about 400 supporters were waiting for him at the end of Lanang Road.

The supporters boosted his morale by performing a Ngajat – a traditional goodwill dance to welcome guests.

Yap then marched into his nomination centre to be met by four opponents – direct BN candidate Datuk Tiong Thai King, STAR candidate Mary Ting and independent candidates Casper Koyo and Dr Benny Lee, formerly of SUPP.

Meanwhile candidate Irene Chang is putting on the armour to carry on the legacy of her late husband Wong Ho Leng, the incumbent for Bukit Assek and opposition leader in Sarawak.