SUPP to field three new faces, retain four incumbents in GE13

MIRI:The Sarawak United People”s Party (SUPP) is fielding three new faces and retaining four incumbents, including Datuk Yong Khoon Seng who had wanted to retire from politics, in the seven seats it will contest in the 13th General Election, party president Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui said today.

He named the new faces as SUPP Youth chief Tan Kai (for Bandar Kuching), businessman Vincent Lau (Sibu) and lawyer Datuk Sebastian Ting (Miri) and the incumbents as Yong (Stampin), Datuk Richard Riot (Serian), Ding Kuong Hiing (Sarikei) and Datuk Tiong Thai King (Lanang).

“Now, it”s official. After this, please (let there be) no camps or factions. Let”s work towards winning our seats,” he told reporters at the Miri SUPP headquarters, here.

Chin, who has been Miri MP since 1986 and opted not to contest in this general election, appealed to all the BN supporters not to listen to rumours, saying this could disrupt campaigning.

On Yong, who had decided to retire from politics, Chin said Yong was retained as he met the criteria set by the prime minister.

The SUPP announced in October last year that SUPP Youth secretary-general and lawyer Wilfred Yap would replace Yong.

In the 2008 general election, Yong retained the seat with a 3,070-vote majority, beating Voon Lee Shan of the DAP and See Chee How of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) in a three-cornered contest.

However, the three state seats in the Stampin parliamentary constituency are held by opposition parties, Kota Sentosa and Batu Kawah by the DAP and Batu Lintang, by the PKR.

SUPP, one of the four BN component parties in Sarawak, contested in seven parliamentary constituencies in the 2008 general election. It won six of the seats and the DAP won Bandar Kuching. SUPP lost Sibu to the DAP in a by-election in 2010.

Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) is to contest 14 parliamentary seats, Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), six, and Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP), four in this general election. Of the 31 parliamentary seats in the state, the BN held 29 and the DAP, two, in the last Dewan Rakyat.

The election in Sarawak is only for parliamentary seats as the state election was held in 2011 and the mandate expires only in 2016.

Following are the SUPP candidates:

1. Tan Kai — Bandar Kuching (new face)

2. Datuk Yong Khoon Seng — Stampin

3. Datuk Richard Riot — Serian

4. Ding Kuong Hiing — Sarikei

5. Vincent Lau Lee Ming — Sibu (new face)

6. Datuk Tiong Thai King — Lanang

7. Datuk Sebastian Ting — Miri (new face)

-Bernama