Pujut by-election shaping up to be a Yii-Ling battle
MIRI: The Pujut by- election is shaping up to be a tussle between SUPP and DAP with the Barisan Nasional ( BN) component party fielding its Pujut branch chairman Adam Yii and the opposition party entering former state assemblyman for Piasau Alan Ling Sie Kiong.
SUPP will likely give Yii who is also the Miri mayor a second bite of the cherry as the party nominated him for the Pujut seat in the last state election but he was replaced just before the polls by former chief minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem to give way to UPP candidate Datuk Hii King Chiong .
A veteran politician here, Abdul Razak Joni, observed that Yii would stand a good chance to win the by- election if SUPP, UPP and BN component parties unite behind him.
He assured that PBB the backbone party of state BN will give its full support to whoever is chosen as the BN candidate.
Abdul Razak observed that Yii will be backed by SUPP’s extensive grassroots supporters and he has been going to the ground meeting the people for quite some time which put him in good stead to win the by-election if he were selected.
On the other hand, Abdul Razak said the DAP candidate would have the advantage of sympathy votes as Pujut voters might feel the disqualification of DAP Pujut assemblyman Dr Ting Tiong Choon by the State legislative Council was harsh and unfair.
However, Yii might not have it all his way in trying to win the BN ticket for the by- election as UPP Pujut chairman, Bruce Chai has also been seen going down to the ground in an apparent bid to be the BN candidate.
In the last state election, Dr Ting won the Pujut seat securing 8, 899 voters against direct BN candidate Datuk Hii King Chiong’s total of 7, 140 votes to win the seat with a majority of 1, 759 votes.