Dr Sim (centre) fields questions from the press at RPR Batu Kawa ‘Rukun Tetangga’ operation room. — Photo by Muhammad Rais Sanusi
KUCHING: President of Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian said they will field new faces to contest in the next state election.
“Of course there will be new faces. At the moment we only have seven ‘old faces’ in the state legislative assembly,” he told the press at RPR Batu Kawa ‘Rukun Tetangga’ (Neighbourhood Watch) operation room yesterday.
Dr Sim, who is Minister of Local Government and Housing, said the incumbents would also defend their seats in the next state election.
The party’s secretary-general Datuk Sebastian Ting had said in a recent statement that the party would contest in all its 20 traditional seats.
“We are ready to face both parliamentary and state elections although Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg had said the state election is still very far away,” said Dr Sim.
SUPP’s 20 traditional seats are Opar, Padungan, Pending, Batu Lintang, Kota Sentosa, Batu Kitang, Batu Kawah, Mambong, Simanggang, Engkilili, Repok, Meradong, Bukit Assek, Dudong, Bawang Assan, Pelawan, Tanjung Batu, Piasau, Pujut and Senadin.
The party has seven assemblymen, namely, Dr Sim himself representing Batu Kawah, Lo Khere Chiang (Batu Kitang), Datuk Francis Harden Hollis (Simanggang), Dato Sri Huang Tiong Sii (Repok), Datuk Ding Kuong Hiing (Meradong), Ting (Piasau) and Datuk Lee Kim Shin (Senadin).