Sunday March 17, 2013

SUPP’s Yap ever ready should DAP’s Chong decides to contest in Stampin

KUCHING: The contest in the Stampin parliamentary seat in the general election is akin to David fighting Goliath should Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen decides to move there.

SUPP nominated candidate for Stampin, Wilfred Yap, said he was flattered that Chong had thought about contesting in the constituency after having represented Bandar Kuching for the past two terms.

“I am just a political minnow who has just been nominated by the party whereas Chong has won consecutively in the previous two elections,” he said.

He reckoned that his moving around in the constituency and making some impact had ruffled DAP’s feathers.

“DAP is not confident of winning if it nominates any other candidate apart from Chong for the constituency,” he said here yesterday.

“It needs a Goliath to make sure that it has a better chance in Stampin.”

Chong, who wields immense influence in the Opposition, told the media recently that he might contest in Stampin.

There are talks that if he actually did so, it is to thwart PKR’s claim on the seat.

It is said that DAP is staking its claim to contest in both Bandar Kuching and Stampin while PKR is being offered Miri.

Chong retained Bandar Kuching in the 2008 general election by defeating the then SUPP Youth chief Alan Sim with a 9,952-vote majority.

He first won the seat in 2004 when he defeated SUPP’s Datuk Wee Kok Tiong, a prominent businessman, with a 2,041-vote majority.

On his chances, the optimistic Yap said they were good.

“If you have read the story of David and Goliath, you’d know who won in the end.

“Anyway, jokes aside, the chances are good for the simple reason that I am speaking the truth and being straightforward.

“I don’t beat around the bush and I mean what I say. I will deliver what I promise,” he said.

In the 2008 general election, SUPP’s Datuk Yong Khoon Seng retained Stampin with a 3,070-vote majority in a fight against DAP’s Voon Lee Shan and PKR’s See Chee How.

Since then, Yong had publicly announced his intention not to seek re-election.

News

Sunday March 17, 2013

SUPP’s Yap ever ready should DAP’s Chong decides to contest in Stampin