Posted on April 30, 2012, Monday
ALL EARS: Shafie (left) listens attentively to a man’s request as Jemoreng assemblyman Abu Seman Jahwie (second right) looks on during Najib’s walkabout at Sibu Central Market.
SIBU: Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal believes a strong candidate will be BN’s trump card in unseating the opposition in Sibu parliamentary constituency while fortifying its position in Lanang.
“If we have a good candidate, who is acceptable by the people, I am quite sure it is going to be different this time around, and the possibility of winning in Sibu parliamentary looks good this coming parliamentary election,” the Rural and Regional Development Minister told The Borneo Post at the sidelines of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s visit to Sibu Central Market last Friday.
He was asked if the coming 13th general election would be a different ball game from that of the last Sibu by-election and chances of BN coming out triumphant in the traditionally fiercely contested seat.
Sibu parliamentary seat used to be a BN stronghold, held by the late Datuk Robert Lau for BN-SUPP before he passed away on April 9, 2010.
He was then holding the post of deputy minister of transport.
In the ensuing by-election, BN-SUPP candidate councillor Robert Lau Hui Yew lost to DAP state chairman Richard Wong Ho Leng by 398 votes.
Ho Leng garnered 18,845 votes while Hui Yew polled 18,447 votes. Independent candidate Narawi Haron managed to obtain only 232 votes and lost his deposit.
To a question, Shafie said the same applied to Lanang where a good candidate would be able to hold off the opposition from making any inroads.
In the 2008 general election, incumbent Datuk Tiong Thai King (BN-SUPP) polled 19,476 votes against 14,612 garnered by Wong Kee Woan of DAP too keep the Lanang seat.
Asserted Shafie: “A good candidate should be alright as it (Lanang) is a seat we have won traditionally. With a strong and committed candidate, there is no reason why we can’t defend that (Lanang seat).”
He stressed that having good candidates mattered most.
“What is important now is candidates…of course when a party is weak, candidates count,” added Shafie.
Meanwhile, on Mar 10, SUPP Sibu branch unanimously recommended Temenggong Vincent Lau and Tiong to represent BN in the coming election, expected to be held soon.
However, recently a national English daily reported educationalist Datuk Seri Dr Benny Lee as expressing keenness to contest in Sibu parliamentary constituency, and was reported to have said he was the party president’s preferred choice.
The statement had somehow ‘rocked the boat’, prompting shell-shocked Dr Lee to move in quickly to clear the air, refuting the claim as baseless.
“When this reporter came to my place, he said my name was being mentioned with the information having come from a very reliable source.
“In all honesty, I did not know anything about this. I merely said if one had done his homework, there would be no problem for him in an examination.
“I guess he (reporter) might have misconstrued my statement, and jumped into conclusions,” he said.
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