UPP: We'll support any Sarawak BN candidate for Lanang

GE14 | The United People’s Party (UPP) has said that it will give its undivided support to any BN candidate contesting in the Sarawak parliamentary seat of Lanang.

“It does not matter which candidate the BN leadership picks, UPP is going to give its undivided support to the candidate in GE14,” said deputy president Dr Jerip Susil today after a party event in Kuching.

According to Susil, both UPP and SUPP – with whom they signed a memorandum last month – had prepared their respective “winnable candidates,” but that the final decision would rest with the BN leadership.

“The memorandum will allow the BN leadership to decide who is the best candidate.

“Whoever is picked out, we should work together. That should be the spirit of the memorandum,” he said.

It is speculated that SUPP’s Kelvin Kong will be picked as BN’s candidate for Lanang. He is likely to face off against incumbent DAP lawmaker Alice Lau, the first woman opposition lawmaker in Sarawak.

Against the party

Meanwhile, Sarawak DAP chairperson Chong Chieng Jen has expressed his regret over the recent protests by party members due to PKR’s choice of candidate for Miri.

Chong, who is also the state Harapan chair, said in a statement today that all parties within Harapan have come to a consensus that once a constituency is allocated to a particular party, it is their choice who to field there.

“Such acts by individual members is contrary to the decision of the party and goes against the general interest of Harapan to fight BN.

“We thus reaffirm and reiterate our support for the candidate chosen by Sarawak PKR in Miri.

“We also urge all party members to stand behind the Harapan’s goal to topple the kleptocratic BN government in this general election, as this is the best chance for a change of government in Malaysia,” he said.

Earlier this month, state DAP deputy chair Chiew Chin Sing reportedly said that the party has prepared its candidate list for GE14, and that it will not contest in the hot seat of Miri.

In the 2013 polls, Miri PKR chief Dr Michael Teo defeated SUPP secretary-general Sebastian Ting by 1,992 votes.

Chiew had also said that although DAP was not contesting the parliamentary seat, it would still help PKR campaign as a Harapan partner.

Sarawak DAP now holds five urban seats – Lanang, Bandar Kuching, Stampin, Sibu, and Sarikei - and is confident of defending all these seats as well as making inroads in a few more seats.

Currently, BN holds 25 parliamentary seats in the state, while DAP has five and PKR one. - Mkini