By Karen Bong
KUCHING, July 20: A potential candidate for an election will be someone who is always on the ground to serve and not somebody who merely appears in newspapers, otherwise they may end up as “tapao material for kolo mee”.
Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) president Dato Dr Sim Kui Hian said this as he emphasised that it is the voices of the people on the ground who will lobby and determine the right candidate, without the aspiring candidate having to lobby for themselves publicly.
“And those who have to publicly campaign and lobby for it means they are not confident they will be selected as a candidate.
“It is the people who will lobby for the candidates and not the branch. Like people in Batu Kawah lobbied for Dr Sim to be their YB (elected representative) and not Dr Sim lobby for himself to become a YB,” he said during a doorstep interview at Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) headquarters here today.
The Deputy Premier said this when asked to comment about SUPP Stakan branch which yesterday announced its effort (July 19), in to promote its branch chairman Dato Sim Kiang Chiok as the best and prospective candidate for Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) to wrest back the P196 Stampin seat from Democratic Action Party (DAP) in the upcoming 15th General Election (GE15).
Expressing his surprise that so many people are keen to become candidates now when it was so hard to find one five years ago, Dr Sim stressed that the potential candidate to be nominated or chosen to represent the party in an election will be someone who is always on the ground to serve the people and their needs and not just appearing in newspapers.
“If you only appear in newspapers, which is where people get to see you, you may end up becoming a tapao (packaging material) for kolo mee. At least good for tapao kolo mee and not throwing you away.
“I have mentioned many times in the past in which all YBs are aware that if you want to be a YB, you have to be on the ground because it is the people who will elect you and not the branch,” he said.
Dr Sim, who is also Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government, thus seemed to feel that it was unwise of the party branch to recommend a candidate publicly because it will be “very embarrassing” if Kiang Chiok is not selected to run for election at the end of the day.
“It is not up to the branch to recommend but up to the (supreme) committee, while traditionally all branches will nominate their candidates but they don’t do so publicly.
“Because what would happen if they are not selected, it will be very embarrassing. It means you are not up to the standard. While you may think you are up to standard, telling everybody you are the best, but when it doesn’t appear so, how? It will be very embarrassing,” he added.
Yesterday, SUPP Stakan branch secretary Sivanesan Sanmugalingam told a press conference that the branch has rekindled its interest int Stampin seat with groundwork having begun in various areas, following the decision the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) members will not be standing as parliamentary candidates in the general election.
With Kiang Chiok always on the ground and has been featured in the press quite prominently, the branch viewed that he is the most suitable candidate and most feared candidate for DAP to face.
Siva also disclosed that SUPP Stakan had on July 13 submitted a letter to the party leadership, Central Working Committee (CWC), and the party’s P196 Parliamentary Liaison Committee chairman Lo Khere Chiang, requesting that its chairman name be considered for candidacy.
The branch also announced the launch of the ‘Team Dato Sim Kiang Chiok’ campaign that will embark aggressively on the ground to reach out to the people within the Stampin parliamentary constituency comprising State constituencies of Kota Sentosa, Batu Kitang and Batu Kawah.
Earlier on, Dr Sim witnessed the swearing-in of MPP chairman Lo Khere Chiang, deputy chairman Senator Dato Ahmad Ibrahim and 26 councillors whose terms have been extended until the end of the year.
Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap was also present. — DayakDaily
