DAP not eyeing Miri seat — Chong

KUCHING: State Democratic Action Party (DAP) has dismissed speculations it is vying for the Miri parliamentary seat.

Its chairman Chong Chieng Jen said whatever news reports claiming that DAP members are eyeing Miri, are baseless.

He said the party would not spoil the trust and collaboration between DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) by doing this.

“DAP has never said it wants to contest in Miri. PKR will still be contesting there.

“Rumours are merely rumours and the wise does not buy rumours. We will not jeopardise our collaboration with PKR,” he said in response to a question posed during a press conference here yesterday.

Chong, who is also Bandar Kuching MP and Kota Sentosa assemblyman, said the so- called news reports did not say which DAPmembers are interested to contest in Miri.

“Who are they? What are their names? As far as we are concerned, these are just speculations. We need to look at the bigger picture.

“Even though DAP is not contesting in Miri, we are giving our full support,” he said.

He stressed that the opposition was bent on bringing down the Barisan Nasional (BN) and Umno in the next general election.

“Our major concern is to topple BN and Umno in order to give new hope to Malaysia and Sarawak,” added Chong.

In the 2013 general election, PKR’s Michael Teo wrested Miri from BN after garnering 26,909 votes against Sarawak United Peoples’ Party’s Datuk Sebastian Ting and State Reform Party’s Chong Kon Fatt, who polled 24,917 votes and 306 votes, respectively.