KUCHING, Oct 17: Bintulu businessman Chieng Lea Phing has been named by Parti Aspirasi Rakyat Sarawak (Aspirasi) as its candidate for the N67 Jepak by-election.
Handing over the ‘surat watikah’ today, Aspirasi president Lina Soo said Chieng, 64, has been a party member since 2014.
Chieng who is well-known in Bintulu with business interests in the gold jewellery and hospitality industries, was born and bred in Bintulu and is a resident of Jepak constituency.
In a statement today, Soo said the battle cry for the Jepak by-election is “One Voice, One Aspiration, One Future for Three Million Sarawakians”.
Meanwhile, Chieng unveiled his plans to serve the rakyat through his manifesto. If he is elected, he pledged to use his monthly salary as an elected assemblyman for the people of Jepak and not spend one sen on himself.
He also pledged to start a mini-mart and grocery store to sell food products and everyday essential household necessities at the lowest prices.
Recognising the suffering of the people with inflation and rising costs of goods where many are finding it difficult to put three meals on the table, he said the mini-mart will supply food products like vegetables, eggs, and cooking oil.
“If the consumer can find the same product cheaper at any other store, the mini-mart shall give the second purchase of same product free of charge.
“This is to reduce the costs of living and reduce poverty for the people of Bintulu,” said Chieng.
Chieng also acknowledged that many native customary rights (NCR) landowners are finding it difficult to get land titles, with one obstacle is meeting the cost of the perimeter survey.
He promised to use his State assemblyman’s salary to help NCR landowners to get perimeter surveys for their NCR land.
Chieng said Bintulu is the golden goose that lays the golden eggs, as the producer of oil and LNG. He alleged that the money derived from the industry has been diverted to Malaya to fund its development.
“This must stop and the correct process is to table a bill in DUN (Sarawak Legislative Assembly) to repudiate the Petroleum Development Act and once this legislation is adopted by DUN, all oil and gas resources will return to Sarawak for the benefit of the people and future generations.
“The PDA (Petroleum Development Act) 1974 had unconstitutionally vested the economic rights of Sarawak’s petroleum resources in PETRONAS (Petroliam Nasional Berhad) and Sarawak has the constitutional right to reject the PDA for ownership and all economic rights to be restored to Sarawak,” said Chieng.
Chieng urged the voters of Jepak to give themselves a chance to improve their livelihood and future, and vote for a people’s representative who will fight for them. — DayakDaily
