Cobbold to take on Tiong in Bintulu
KUCHING: President of Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak ( PBDS) Baru Cobbold John Lusoi will challenge Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing head- on in Bintulu in the coming general election.
He said facing Tiong, who is Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party president, would be a good and interesting fight.
“I know Tiong and Barisan Nasional are financially superior, but that doesn’t matter because I believe it will be a good fight.
“In any election, nothing is impossible and the Dayaks have to fight and being a Dayak myself, I have to fight,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday.
Cobbold said one of the reasons why he was contemplating to take on Tiong was due to the latter’s openly expressed support for a bill to amend the Syariah Courts Act (Criminal Jurisdiction Act 1965)(Act 355)in parliament.
“It shows Tiong is supportive of Hudud to be implemented in Sarawak as well,” he added.
Tiong, who is famous for his phrase ‘Kong Kali Kong’, has been the Bintulu MP since 1999.
In the last general election, he was challenged by DAP’s John Brian Anthony, who secured 19,025 votes against Tiong’s 26,458 votes.
Cobbold said for now, PBDS Baru only planned to take on SPDP in the coming general election after Tiong and Saratok MP Tan Sri William Mawan, who won the seat on an SPDP ticket before leaving the party, had openly supported the Bill.
“Although the prime minister has said that BN would not table Hadi’s Bill, our stand remains until the Speaker has made his decision.
“Our stand may change, but the possibility of me taking on Tiong is still there,” he said.
Cobbold is a seasoned election candidate, having contested in Bukit Semuja in 2016, Balai Ringin in 2006 and 2011 in the state poll. In the parliamentary elections, he contested twice in Sri Aman (2003 and 2008).
SPDP, a BN component party, currently holds Mas Gading, Saratok, Bintulu and Baram parliamentary seats.