By Ling Hui
BINTULU, Nov 3: Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) candidate for Jepak by-election Stevenson Joseph Sumbang is confident that he has won support from 80 per cent of Jepak voters whom he has met so far.
He said his campaign has been running smoothly, and he managed to deliver talks at several longhouses.
“So far so good. I’m not sure about the entire Jepak constituency, but I believe I have 80 per cent support from the voters (I met so far). I’m confident,” he told DayakDaily when contacted today.
Stevenson, a former police officer and now businessman, said he believes that he could serve the people well should they give the mandate to him in coming polls.
If he were to win the by-election, he said one of his priorities would be to assist the people in claiming their rights to Native Customary Rights (NCR) lands in Jepak.
Meanwhile, PBK supporter and PPR Bandaria Park resident Annie Emang said Stevenson had always mingled with the locals even before he was a candidate.
She asserted that she would only support a people representative close to the people and not one backed by the government but oblivious to issues on the ground.
“(GPS candidate) Iskandar (Turkee) lives in Kuching and not here. If he does not come and visit us here, how would he know our concerns? He could very likely become the second (late) Datuk Talib (Zulpilip),” she added.
Speaking on behalf of local folks, Annie appealed to the Sarawak government to install an individual water pump for PPR Bandaria Park so that they could have uninterrupted water supply.
For the 200 students of SK Segan living at PPR Bandaria Park, she urged the authorities to facilitate a direct route connecting their homes with the school’s backdoor.
“SK Segan is just right beside Block O, so we would like the authorities to somehow install a gateway leading directly to the school.
“Otherwise, they would have to travel about 2km using the main road to school,” she said when met by DayakDaily at her food stall in front of PPR Bandaria Park today.
Annie also mentioned the residents’ wishes to own their homes rather than pay a monthly rental of RM150 at PPR Bandaria Park.
In this by-election, Stevenson is facing off with Iskandar from Gabungan Parti Sarawak and Sarawak People’s Aspiration Party’s (Aspirasi) Chieng Lea Phing.
The Jepak seat was left vacant following the passing of its six-term incumbent, Datuk Talib Zulpilip, on Sep 15, 2023, at 72, due to health complications. — DayakDaily
