Dr Sim wants clean fight with Chong in Stampin
KUCHING: Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian, who has been named to run for Stampin parliamentary seat, wants a straight and good fi ght against Chong Chieng Jen from Democratic Action Party ( DAP) this 14th general election (GE14).
Chong, who is the three- term incumbent of Bandar Kuching, had on Monday night announced the decision to contest in Stampin while making room for his special assistant Dr Kelvin Yii to defend Bandar Kuching seat for DAP.
Thus, Bandar Kuching will be seeing two new faces – Dr Yii against SUPP women chief Kho Teck Wan.
Commenting on his chance in Stampin, Dr Sim recognised that it will be a tough battle and called for a good and clean fight.
“I am very disappointed with DAP for playing dirty tactics by going around spreading lies that we ( SUPP) are giving out money to voters and even laughing at my short legs,” he told reporters yesterday.
“This is how they (opposition) mislead the people to not vote for BN if they don’t get their money. We don’t do that. I have urged voters in Batu Kawah to lodge police report if they encounter such thing because this is a serious crime,” he added.
He was met after Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg unveiled the Barisan Nasional (BN) Sarawak line-up for GE14 at Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu ( PBB) headquarters at Jalan Bako here.
I am very disappointed with DAP for playing dirty tactics by going around spreading lies that we (SUPP) are giving out money to voters and even laughing at my short legs.
Asked on his confidence in facing Chong, Dr Sim said he will let the voters see and judge for themselves what he as the elected representative has done for Batu Kawah constituency in the past two years as well as in voicing issues that mattered to Sarawak in Parliament as a senator.
“They also know what’s coming for the area in the next three years; how we are being sincere in our actions and have walked the talk instead of ( being) ‘ hao siao’ (nonsense in Hokkien),” he pointed out.
“In Parliament, I have mentioned numerous times about why Sarawak has no chief of justice or IGP even after 55 years of independence and how come not one third of parliamentarians are from Sarawak, which is contradictory to the original spirit ( of the Constitution),” he emphasised.
“Let people judge. I believe all my life that I have been serving and fighting for Sarawak since coming back from Australia,” he added, while urging people to give him a chance to prove his point.
He thus called on the opposition not to resort to dirty tactics, create hatred and mislead the public while reminding them that Sarawak does not need such leaders.
“We don’t want cheap actions which is called publicity stunts. Don’t fall into cheap publicity like in 2011 when the people were asked not to vote for me to keep me in the hospital because I am a good doctor,” he said.
Dr Sim reasoned that he can save more people when he is in public office, for instance through getting allocations to improve healthcare services in rural Sarawak, than just being a doctor who can only save one life at a time.
Meanwhile, Dr Sim has stepped down as senator to contest in GE14, thus opening an opportunity for others in BN to be in the Dewan Negara.
SUPP, he acknowledged, has many good candidates who have potential to become capable and good leaders.
“I want to assure them that there will be opportunity coming up very soon because I have resigned as senator immediately, especially the capable ones who can fight for Sarawak in Parliament” he said.
“Similarly as ( party) president, I am only allowed three terms and this is the beginning of my fi fth year. We need a continuation of leadership,” he added, and emphasised the need to train and expose young leaders to succeed him in due time.
SUPP, he assured, will focus on training young leaders after the election to prepare them to take up greater roles in the party, including taking over as president as well as in steering the state and nation forward.
“But now we want to focus on winning this election first and we will actively train young people to prepare them as fast as possible as they may still be lacking in certain aspects. If they are not ready and we put them there, they will be in trouble,” he said.
“In politics, you need a lot of wisdom, ability to think critically and being analytical and not simply put an inexperienced person there that can lead to their downfall,” he continued.
“I only have a few more years to complete my mission. Time is a factor for me. This is the last part of my service to contribute to Sarawak,” he added.
GE14, he reiterated, is not just an election on Stampin or Miri but a fight to ensure the interests and rights of Sarawak and its people are safeguarded and returned in accordance with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
To a question, Dr Sim dismissed the possibility of United People’s Party ( UPP) candidates making a ‘u-turn’ after the election as had happened in the past state election because their partnership had been sealed with an agreement.
“It is never easy to unite the Chinese community, but I am proud and glad that we ( UPP and SUPP) have come together and at certain stage. People also come to a realisation that unity is important to move forward strongly,” he said.
Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian, Minister of Local Government and Housing