Ting relates political journey to being BN’s Miri candidate
MIRI: Five years ago, Datuk Sebastian Ting lost to PKR’s Dr Michael Teo by 1,992 votes, losing Miri parliamentary seat that was once Barisan Nasional ( BN) stronghold.
This 14th general election, the two are wrestling again in the same battlefield.
Giving a detailed interview to The Borneo Post after the announcement of BN candidate on April 24, Ting, who is the SUPP secretary- general, talked about his 2013 defeat, his political journey from a political secretary to his candidacy for parliamentary and state elections, and what he wants to do for Miri and the people.
Ting started his political career in May 2004 as the political secretary to then Miri MP and federal minister Tan Sri Peter Chin Fah Kui.
“My position as political secretary from 2004 to 2013 slowly paved way to different advantages, including the political experience in West Malaysia. To be honest, the political scene there is very different from that of Sarawak, it opened my eyes and widened my perception on what I wanted to do for my homeland Miri and Sarawak,” he said.
Ting confessed that since his appointment as political secretary, he had put aside his profession as lawyer to become a full-time politician.
“It is very important to let the people know that I am committed to serve the people and only by doing it full-time, I can focus on what I need to do.”
His defeat in the 2013 general election did not affect his determination at all.
Instead, it inspired him to continue to work and reach out to people who came seeking for help. Eventually, his dedication, perseverance and sensibility had touched many lives, resulting in his victory in the 2016 state election over Sarawak DAP secretary Alan Ling by 2,112 votes.
Discussing his ambitious strategies and plans he had for Miri, Ting mentioned that housing and identification documents are the two major issues that he wants to tackle.
“If you remember, in my 2016 manifesto, I wanted to reduce the number of squatters to zero, that is to resettle all those in squatter colonies to new areas. As such, we now have new areas like Tudan Desaras and Kampung Lusut where the squatters resettled. This time, if given the chance, I want to do more.”
Identification documents including birth certificate and MyKad are a major issue among the natives and mixed marriages.
Ting believes by being MP he will be able to deal with the issue in a more direct way with Putrajaya.
“This is the advantage and benefit that I want the people to enjoy, and they deserve it because they are Malaysians too,” he said.
To date, he has helped hundreds of natives without birth certificate to obtain MyKad.
Ting had even helped to fund applicants’ additional requirement such as DNA verification. Speaking of the many development plans he has, he said one of them is accessibility to healthcare for every Sarawakian.
“Miri Polyclinic is the most congested clinic in Miri because it caters to at least a thousand patients daily during peak season. My frequent visits to the clinic to constantly check on the numbering system, the queuing condition and the environment in the waiting area at the clinic have triggered a lot of ideas that I want to implement to help make it more convenient for the patients.
“The new RM35-million project – Klinik Kesihatan Jenis 2 – near Miri Hospital is currently in progress; promises new hope for patients for better healthcare services in the next two to three years.
“The population in Miri is growing, and so is the demand for healthcare. We cannot be satisfied with the current service because it will soon be out- dated. The only way is to constantly seek improvement, such as bringing in more specialists and surgeons to Miri Hospital, so that Mirians need not have to travel all the way to Kuching for consultation and treatment.”
Tourism development in Miri, he opined, should be an on- going process.
“Accessibility to Mulu cave, deepening the Miri Port in Kuala Baram, upgrading the transportation system in Miri City and promoting the ecotourism potential are a few of the things that I have already planned or proposed and I hope to see them realised soon,” he pointed out.
Agriculture being the industry given the least focus has inspired Ting to seek opportunity to promote local produce such as pineapple.
“By promoting local produce, farmers, especially the young generation, will be encouraged to try their hands on farming,” he said.
Speaking of the political scene, the BN candidate strongly believes that BN Sarawak is growing stronger and more harmonised.
“I must say that the atmosphere for this election is very different compared to that of 2013. At the time, the voices of the opposition were very strong and they even called it the ‘Chinese Tsunami’. As time went by, under the leadership of the late Adenan Satem or Tok Nan and now under the current Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, we have a very different mission, that is to reclaim Sarawak’s rights.
“To be successful, all BN component parties must learn to tolerate each other instead of having internal feud, bickering and distrust among themselves. Unity makes us stronger and with this, we ( BN Sarawak) are on the right direction,” said Ting.
Saying though Miri is one of the hot seats and a predominantly Chinese area, Ting strongly feels that every vote is important.
“It is not right to focus on a certain area, because every Sarawakian is equally important. They are the ones who make up Sarawak, therefore, they deserve equal respect,” said Ting.