12th STATE ELECTION (MAMBONG SEAT)
KUCHING: The Mambong constituency can expect a multi-cornered fight in the coming state election as several political parties have expressed keen interest in the area, which incumbent Datuk Dr Jerip Susil said he would be defending.
Dr Jerip, who is Assistant Transportation Minister, won the seat as a direct BN candidate in the last state election held on May 7, 2016 in a three-cornered fight which also featured Sanjan Daik from DAP and Willie Mongin from PKR. He later joined United People’s Party which was renamed Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB), which he left in July 10, 2019. He is presently chairman of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu Sarawak (PBB) Mambong branch.
Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), a component of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), has reportedly claimed that Mambong is its traditional seat hence, it wants the constituency allocated to SUPP. Democratic Action Party (DAP), Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and PSB have also shown interest in the seat.
Political observers believe that SUPP will most likely give way to PBB if GPS decides to nominate Dr Jerip to defend the seat.
Pakatan Harapan will have to decide whether to field a candidate from PKR or DAP. In the last election DAP fielded Sanjan Daik, a Bidayuh from Kampung Benuk, who announced that he was leaving the party recently.
Sanjan told New Sarawak Tribune that he left DAP because the people’s support towards the party has declined following the fall of PH government.
Mongin, who is the MP for Puncak Borneo, had meanwhile left PKR to become an independent lawmaker supporting the Perikatan Nasional federal government of Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. He has since been appointed Deputy Minister of Plantations and Commodities.
Meanwhile Dr Jerip in an interview with New Sarawak Tribune said he will defend his seat in the coming state election.
He said all incumbent state assemblymen have been asked go to the ground and set up election machineries in their respective constituencies.
“The chief minister has said that the election will be held any time from now and as such he has asked us to go to our constituency and I have started setting our GPS/PBB election machinery in Mambong constituency, including a roadshow to introduce GPS logo to the voters.
“After this we will collaborate with other GPS component parties to strengthen our machineries and gearing towards the election,” he said.
Dr Jerip said he was optimistic of retaining the seat for GPS if he is re-nominated to contest.
The four-term assemblyman said the people in the constituency knew of his good track records in serving the constituents.
“The voters in Mambong are wise people and they know how to make their assessment on who should be their representative to the State Legislative Assembly,” Dr Jerip said when asked on his winning chances.
He acknowledged that there were already several wannabes going around the constituency to promote themselves as election candidates.
