KUCHING: Malaysia practises parliamentary democracy, hence, anyone can choose to contest in any seats they wish to, including the Julau parliamentary seat in the 15th general election (GE15).
Julau Member of Parliament (MP) Larry Sng said he would leave it to the wisdom and wishes of the people to choose who they would like to represent them for the next five years.
“Julau has become my home now, so there is no reason for me not to continue my service to the people there. Hence, I will be defending my seat in the GE15,” he told New Sarawak Tribune.
Sng, who is the Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) president, was asked to comment on Parti Rakyat President (PRS) Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum’s recent statement that the party might nominate the latter to contest in Julau in the GE15.
Salang, the former Julau MP, said he believed he could deliver the seat.
Meanwhile, Sng said he would be contesting under Parti Bangsa Malaysia – a party that supports the Prime Minister.
“I will be contesting as a government (friendly) candidate,” he added.
Political analyst Associate Professor Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi said PRS had the chance to wrest back Julau since being part of the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), the party was expected to have stronger machinery on the ground.
However, he said, PRS must also make sure their machinery and members had already started working on the ground and not only during elections.
“PRS can win the seat if they can prove that they can provide better service to the voters in Julau than Sng…” he said.
“Sng has an advantage in terms of his personality and good work ethic. He is always on the ground, serving the people, regardless of which party he was from,” he said.
Sng won the Julau seat in the 2018 general election as an independent before joining PKR. He took over as Sarawak PKR chairman after Selangau MP Baru Bian quit the party in 2020.
However, he quit PKR in February last year, after he consulted his voters. He decided to switch his support to the government as he was unable to serve effectively because of a lack of funds as he was in the opposition.
