Chieng Lea Phing
BINTULU (Oct 21): If the surviving opposition parties in Sarawak don’t band together, there is no way for them to topple the government of the day, said Chieng Lea Phing.
The 64-year-old Sarawak People’s Aspiration Party (Aspirasi) candidate for the Jepak by-election hoped that local opposition parties would be able to join hands in the next state election.
“Now you see the opposition party is concentrate on Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) and Aspirasi, because Democratic Action Party and Parti Keadilan Rakyat already joining the unity government with Gabungan Parti Sarawak,” he said when met at the nomination centre at Bintulu Civic Centre today.
He was asked about the future of Sarawak’s local political opposition parties, particularly during state elections.
Asked what would be his hope after being in the party for seven years since 2016, Chieng wished that in the next state election, the local political opposition parties would be able to join hands.
He said PBK and Aspirasi could one day merge as one because fighting against the mighty GPS in a multi-cornered fight is very difficult.
“We need to have a one-to-one fight, not a multi- cornered fight.
“Now with two oppositions against GPS, we split our votes and it is very difficult if we can’t work together.
“If we can’t cooperate with PBK, I think there will be a disaster for opposition parties in Sarawak as we are the only two remaining opposition parties,” he said.
At the moment, he said the opposition in Sarawak is very weak and powerless against GPS.
According to Chieng, this Jepak by-election was his fourth election as a candidate.
“It is a tough fight, sure we cannot win, plus I am a Chinese, this is a Malay area, but our presence just to show our opinion as a reference for the government on what we want,” he said.