Dato Peter Minos
KUCHING (Nov 6): Political observer Dato Peter Minos believes that Gabungan Parti Sarawak’s (GPS) candidate Lo Khere Chiang can wrest the Stampin parliamentary seat from the Democratic Action Party (DAP).
“I have the feeling that the DAP (candidate Chong Chieng Jen) will not be lucky this round in Stampin.
“I predict that GPS-SUPP will win the day in Stampin. GPS has a very solid candidate in the personality of Lo. He is likeable and approachable.
“Even though a Chinese, Lo gets along very well with the Bumiputera voters in Stampin. My Bidayuh friends said that Lo is ‘best’.
“The bumiputera votes matter a lot in a tight race with DAP. I heard over 20 per cent in Stampin are Bumiputeras,” said Minos, who is Kota Samarahan Municipal Council (MPKS) chairman.
Lo, who is Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) deputy secretary-general and Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) chairman, will be facing incumbent Chong who is also DAP Sarawak chairman, and Parti Sarawak Bersatu’s (PSB) Lue Cheng Hing on Nov 19 polling day.
DAP has controlled Stampin for two terms since 2013. It used to be the former state Barisan Nasional (BN) stronghold for many years since the constituency was created pursuant to the 1999 parliamentary election.
Prior to Chong’s reign from 2018, it was held by DAP’s Julian Tan from 2013.
State BN’s Dato Yong Khoon Seng, also a SUPP member, held it from 1999 until 2013.
In the 2018 parliamentary election, Chong beat SUPP president cum Batu Kawah assemblyman Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian by a majority of 14,221 votes in a one-on-one contest.
Minos said, this time around, Sarawakians all over are not in favour of any Peninsular Malaysia-based party.
He added that voters would go for the GPS’ battle cry “Sarawak First” and no longer want a “rocket ride”, referring to DAP’s party symbol.
“Time has changed. Political mood too. Voters throughout Sarawak are no longer keen on DAP, PKR (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) and any party from Malaya because I think people have realised that Malayans have treated Sarawak shabbily and unfairly all these years. So they are not going or listening to them anymore.
“It is not anti-Malayan but more of the way they have treated Sarawakians since 1963. Sarawakians are fed up and therefore Malaya-based parties are a put off,” Minos said.
“Sarawakians cannot but feel more insular and rationalistic and, so focus on the ‘Sarawak First’ mood. That suits them. Besides, the Malayans are woefully divided politically. It is a mess out there in Malaya. So Sarawakians do not want a part of Malayan politics,” he added.
“No matter what the Malayans or their local cahoots and partners say or promise, here in Sarawak the voters take them with a pinch of salt. Some of the candidates from the opposition side are totally unknown and untested.
“GPS had selected its candidates very carefully and there is no such thing as any ‘tom, dick and harry’ for candidates. GPS is very serious in choosing its candidates as GPS aims to win and GPS will win,” said Minos, who is also a Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) veteran.