DUDONG SEAT
SIBU: Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Dudong branch chairman Wong Ching Yong confirms that the party has endorsed his candidacy for the Dudong seat in the coming state election.
SUPP had forwarded his name to the top leadership of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) sometime in April and is now only waiting for the approval, he said.
“Dudong is one of SUPP’s traditional seats. I don’t see why GPS would not agree with the proposal submitted by the party’s central working committee,” he told the press after witnessing the installation of Dudong SUPP office’s signboard at Jalan Aman here yesterday.
On the last state election in 2016, GPS (then still part of Barisan Nasional) fielded a Barisan Nasional direct candidate Datuk Tiong Thai King.
Tiong, a former SUPP member, successfully defended the seat but later joined Opposition party — Parti Sarawak Bersatu (formerly United People’s Party).
According to Wong, members of his own branch had also approved his proposed candidacy.
On talks that Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) was also keen to field a candidate, Wong, who is also Sibu Rural District Council deputy chairman, said he was not at liberty to comment.
However, he said should there be a tussle for the seat between SUPP and PDP, then both parties, being components of GPS, should sit down and agree on a formula to resolve the matter.
Nevertheless, Wong expressed confidence that such issue would not arise.
On the installation of the signboard, he said this was the third time since the office was opened in 2007.
The first signboard was removed by the Sibu Municipal Council on Oct 28, 2009 following an internal conflict between two sides in the party.
The second signboard was put up in 2014 after the newly elected president recognised the establishment of the branch.
“Today’s ceremony marks yet another victory for the branch as it puts up its third signboard. The new signboard is to replace the existing one which is already worn out and also to affix the acronym ‘GPS’ on it,” he added.
