By Ling Hui
KUCHING, Nov 19: Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) president Datuk Larry Sng successfully defended P209 Julau with a majority of 1,340 votes, seeing off his closest rival former Julau MP and also Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum.
Garnering 9,159 votes against Salang’s 7,819 votes, Sng put a stop to his old rival’s comeback in the Iban-majority seat.
In the 2018 general election, Salang was defeated by then independent Sng, after serving Julau as an MP for four terms since 1999.
In a social media post earlier today, Sng promised that he would serve another five years with dedication and full commitment to the people of Julau.
“Today, history is made and I am proud to be of service,” he said, after thanking his family, supporters the Election Commission (EC) and all civil servants who worked hard to ensure a safe and fair election.
Salang, on the other hand, when met by reporters at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here today, said the people in Julau appeared to be excited for him during the campaign period, but the sentiment did not translate into votes.
“They did give me some measure of confidence, but it did not turn out that way. So, let it be. I’m not in despair. I’m okay because in life, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose,” he said.
Meanwhile, the two other challengers in P209 Julau—independent Elly Lawai Ngalai and Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak’s (PBDS) Susan George— respectively garnered 5,224 and 335 votes.
Susan will not be getting back her deposit for winning only 1.49 per cent of the total of 22,537 votes cast in Julau in GE15. — DayakDaily
