KUCHING, May 4: Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) candidate for Stampin Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian advised voters not to be blinded by emotions being stoked by the opposition who have equated voting for Barisan Nasional (BN) to voting for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
He said as far as the Chinese community in Sarawak is concerned, their votes for BN mean that their voices would be heard in Parliamen
“Because of the opposition, the public perception is that if BN lost all six Sarawak parliamentary seats, that would be the key for Najib to lose this election (GE14). The opposition in the six urban Sarawak seats (Bandar Kuching, Stampin, Serian, Sarikei, Sibu and Lanang) have been campaigning (on the basis) that votes for them would mean votes to change the Najib government.
“However, I would like to point out that a vote for the opposition would be a vote for the Chinese of Sarawak to lose their voice in Parliament. For example, after the 2013 parliamentary election, where five out of six urban parliamentary seats with Chinese-majority were held by the opposition, since then the Chinese here have lost their voices (in Parliament),” said Dr Sim, adding that the Serian seat which was held by SUPP was Dayak-majority.
He said instead of accusing the state BN government of not doing anything for the Chinese in Sarawak, voters should look back and see what the opposition has done for them.
He claimed that the opposition accused the Chinese voters of being weak instead of them giving voice to the Chinese voters, hence why the voters’ voices have not been heard in Parliament.
“I urge voters not to fall for this misleading propaganda by the opposition that a vote for them in a Chinese-majority seat is a vote for the Najib goverment to fall, because the fact is that a vote for Sarawak BN would mean a vote for us (Sarawakian Chinese) to have a voice in the government,” said Dr Sim.
On another note, Dr Sim also took a swipe at the opposition for freeloading on the state BN over the issue of upholding the state’s rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
He said Democratic Action Party (DAP), a component of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) opposition coalition, had never brought up the MA63 issue up before, and now that BN is highlighting it in both its state and national manifestoes, the opposition is belittling it.
“DAP never brought up MA63 before BN Sarawak. Now they try to belittle BN Sarawak’s achievement and what we have stated in our state and national manifestos.
“When former Chief Minister Pehin Sri Adenan Satem was alive, they (DAP) said Adenan cheated Sarawak and so on.
“Then when he (Adenan) passed away, they (DAP) praised him. This is the type of character DAP elected representatives have.
“So voters please look at it not based on emotions,” Dr Sim advised. — DayakDaily
