By Ling Hui
BINTULU, Oct 20: Iskandar Turkee’s mixed parentage of Vaie and Iban will give him an extra edge and make him the most suitable candidate to retain Jepak for Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).
When stating this, Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) supreme council member Kennedy Chukpai Ugon revealed that Iskandar’s mother is an Iban from Ulu Skrang.
Therefore, Chukpai said, GPS is confident that Iskandar, although a new face, can retain Jepak, which consists of a majority of Malays/Melanau and Iban voters.
Of the 22,804 registered voters in Jepak, 54 per cent are Malays/Melanau, followed by Iban voters who make up 35 per cent, the Chinese with six per cent, and the remaining five per cent comprising Bidayuh, Orang Ulu, and others.
“Previously, our Iban people supported the late Talib (Zulpilip). With this new candidate (Iskandar), I’m sure the people will support him because I can see the ‘semangat’ (spirit) of the people.
“This fellow is very new. He is neutral, and everybody accepts him. Because, to tell you, his mother is Iban from Ulu Skrang,” Chukpai told DayakDaily after attending the state-level Jepak by-election coordination meeting at a local hotel here last night (Oct 19).
The meeting was chaired by Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) senior vice-president Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, who is also Gabungan Parti Sarawak’s (GPS) Jepak by-election deputy director.
Also present for the meeting were Tanjong Batu assemblyman Johnny Pang, representing Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP), and Peter Soo, representing the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP).
Voicing full support for Iskandar, Chukpai, who is also Murum assemblyman, said PRS would be sending about 300 of its members to Jepak during nomination day, which is set for tomorrow (Oct 21).
Meanwhile, there will be another 1,000 members from Jepak PBB, 500 from SUPP, 300 from PDP, and 300 from PBB Tanjong Batu, Kemena, and Samalaju combined. — DayakDaily
