Chong beats Dr Sim in Stampin
KUCHING: Chong Chieng Jen has been elected the new Stampin MP after defeating Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian of Barisan Nasional (BN) with a handsome majority of 14,221 votes.
The state DAP chairman, who contested in the parliamentary constituency for the first time, garnered 33,060 votes against Dr Sim’s 18,839 votes in a voter turnout of 79.3 per cent.
The result was announced by returning officer Elizabeth Loh at 9.53pm at the official tallying centre at Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) yesterday.
Chong, who was accompanied by his wife Grace Tan and parents Chong Siew Chiang and Sim Yaw Sik, expressed his gratitude to all Sarawakian voters for placing their confidence on Pakatan Harapan (PH) this 14th general election (GE14).
The state PH chairman said the results from this election proved the predictions for the state BN.
“Though many people said there’s no excitement in Sarawak; that there’s no passion or enthusiasm this election, the results have proven otherwise.
“The undercurrent is shaking and there is thirst from Sarawakians for justice,” he said.
Chong Chieng Jen was Bandar Kuching MP for three terms before passing the baton to his special assistant Dr Kelvin Yii, who also won the seat against Kho Teck Wan of BN.
In the last general election, BN lost Stampin to the DAP for the first time when then deputy works minister Datuk Yong Khoon Seng, who held the seat for five terms, was defeated by DAP’s greenhorn Julian Tan by a whopping 18,670 vote-majority in a three-cornered battle that also involved STAR’s Lina Soo.