‘BN needs to do more groundwork for Miri seat’
MIRI: Barisan Nasional ( BN) has been called on to do more groundwork to wrest back the Miri parliamentary seat from the opposition.
The seat has traditionally been contested by Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP).
“As of today, we don’t see any ‘capable candidates’ from SUPP who can win the seat and the community on the ground are still in the dark who will be fielded,” claimed veteran Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu ( PBB) member Talhah Mansor yesterday.
“So far there are no heavyweight new faces from SUPP seen moving on the ground, meeting the community or visiting kampungs and residential areas in Miri.”
According to him, with both Parti Keadilan Rakyat ( PKR) and the Democratic Action Party ( DAP) staking their claim on the seat, SUPP must field a wellknown candidate.
“In my opinion, these ‘potential candidates’ from SUPP must show themselves to the public now and meet voters on the ground so that they can create a base and foundation and be known to the people on the ground.
“Until today, we don’t hear or see any potential candidates from SUPP going around meeting the people or introducing themselves to be the potential candidates, which if not tackled will see voters continue with the opposition,” he claimed.
Talhah pointed out that only Piasau assemblyman and SUPP secretary- general Datuk Sebastian Ting, and Assistant Minister for Tourism and Senadin assemblyman Datuk Lee Kim Shin – who is an SUPP vicepresident – have been actively moving around on the ground.
The Miri parliamentary seat is currently held by PKR’s Dr Michael Teo.
However, Pujut assemblyman Dr Ting Tiong Choon had claimed in January that Miri folk are dissatisfied with Dr Teo, and that the DAP is in a better position to win the seat.