SUPP says DAP may have incited 'reward-seekers'

Regina Lee

The Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) has slammed back at reports that '100 people approached the party headquarters demanding for election money'.

The party's Sibu division bumiputera unit chief Andrew Shilling said though there were several people waiting at a coffee shop below the party's office in Sibu, they could have been incited to assemble there by the Opposition.

"Most of the people waiting downstairs were not even BN supporters. I was told that they were DAP supporters. Of course (DAP) would have given them that information (that money was being given out).
"They were probably paid to buat kacau and make a scene. I'm sorry to say this, but this is a West Malaysian culture.

"They just wanted to make a ruckus," Shilling (right) told Malaysiakini.

The Sibu Election Watch (SEW) has claimed that more than 100 people were waiting in a shoplot below the party headquarters, demanding the balance of their payout.

According to SEW, the voters were expecting a balance of RM400, after being paid RM100 right before the recently concluded Sarawak election, for casting their votes for the SUPP candidate.

Sarawak DAP chief and Bukit Assek assemblyperson Wong Ho Leng tweeted on that day that the people were Iban voters from Rasau and Bawang Assan.

'Money was for campaigning work'

Shilling, who is also political secretary to the Sarawak chief minister, admitted that a meeting was taking place in the SUPP office with several Iban tuai rumah (longhouse chiefs) at the time of the incident.

According to him, 18 chiefs and community members from six longhouses in the Sungai Rasau area were meeting with him to receive payment for their work in the campaign for SUPP during the election.

"They hung posters and banners for us. And then they also received petrol allowances. They did some petty jobs for us," said Shilling.

Asked how much the remunerations were, he refused to answer and said: "I can't comment on the amount. But they were enough, lah."

Shilling also rubbished the Sibu Election Watch, saying it was not even a registered body.

"I actually don't even know what happened downstairs. Who is (SEW) anyway? Are they registered? They are not, aren't they?

"Anyone can claim that they are SEW. Of course they have the right to comment but they must be truthful," he said, reiterating that the claims of vote buying were "baseless".

'Don't think Iban votes can be bought'

Responding to the numerous allegations by DAP that SUPP had been buying votes, Shilling, who is Iban by ethnicity - said his community could not be bought easily.

"We Iban... don't look down upon us as far as money is concerned. We cannot be enticed by money.

"We're not like that - easily bought," he said.

Shilling, who has helmed the party's bumiputera unit in Sibu for eight years now, said SUPP has always had a good relationship with the bumiputera community in Sarawak.

"The tuai rumah and some of the Iban people used to come and see us in the office. They'll come and see me with all kinds of problems, whether they are unhappy with something, or they want help to write a letter, or whether they want us to recommend an application to the wakil rakyat.

"SUPP has had the Iban support even in the last state election and we have the right to choose our assemblyperson."

He said Bawang Assan assemblyperson and SUPP deputy secretary-general Wong Soon Koh (above) was capable in terms of bringing development and progress to the rural areas.

"In the rural areas, we still have to develop the basic amenities. Towns already have everything there. So there is still a very different mindset in the rural areas," said Shilling.

Wong retained his Bawang Assan seat against DAP's newcomer Alice Lau with a 1,808-vote majority. In the constituency with a sizeable 33.64 percent Iban voters, DAP has angrily claimed that its loss was the result of vote buying.

Epic battle between SUPP and DAP

It's early days yet to determine who between the Sarawak United Peoples' Party (SUPP) and DAP have the edge in the coming polls.

By Stephen Winfred
KUCHING: Never before has a battle been fought so hard for the support of urban voters than in the coming 10th state election on April 16.

Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) contesting under the Barisan Nasional banner is facing the onslaught from the DAP in 15 urban seats in Kuching, Sibu and Miri.

Both sides are leaving no stones unturned in the battle described as the hottest ever in the state electoral history.

While SUPP is fighting for its survival, the DAP regards this election as “a once in a lifetime opportunity” to increase the number of its seat in the 71-seat state assembly.

DAP, which won six seats in the 2006 state elections, has described the polls as the “battle of the century.”

DAP and SUPP-BN are facing each other in 14 seats – namely Padungan, Pending, Batu Kawah, Kota Sentosa (in Kuching), Simanggang (Sri Aman), Repok, Meradong (in Sarikei), Bukit Assek, Dudong, Bawang Assan, Pelawan (in Sibu) Kidurong (in Bintulu), and Piasau and Pujut (in Miri).

The DAP is also trying its luck in unseating PBB in one of its stronghold in Bukit Kota (in Limbang).

“This election, though the toughest, is the best opportunity for us to win big. That is why we called it the battle of the century,” said DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

The DAP sees potential in capturing seats like Padungan, Batu Kawah, Repok, Pelawan and Pujut besides retaining Kota Sentosa, Pending, Bukit Assek, Kidurong and Meradong in this election.

BN to lose more seats
Political analyst with UCSI University Ong Kian Ming said the response in the three urban areas – Kuching, Sibu and Miri – for DAP has been good with the party attracting huge crowds at its ceramahs in Kuching.



“Initial feeling on the ground is that the opposition is already gaining ground. It looks like BN is going to lose more seats in urban areas,” he said.

Apart from urban seats in Kuching and Sibu, DAP seems to be on the right track to extend its winning to Miri, namely in seats such as Pujut, Pelawan and Repok.

However it is still tough going in seats like Piasau, Dudong and Bawang Assan.

With polling a week away, Ong said it is still too early to make any conclusion on the victory for BN-SUPP as it depends on how much it can withstand the pressure from the DAP.

The campaign for the poll began on April 6 after nominations. The state would see contest in all 71-seats up for grabs.

The DAP kicked off its campaign in Kuching with Miri being the next stop, this weekend.

The “grand finale” is being planned for Sibu just before polling day.

Despite early indication of good ground support, DAP leaders remained cautious in retaining its seat.

“In Kuching, we already have three and we intend to add one more.

“The question now is how many seats can be won and whether it is enough to make an impact on Taib tenure,” said DAP publicity chief Tony Pua, referring to the Chief Minister Taib Mahmud who celebrated his 30th anniversary in office last March 26.

Straights fights
DAP seems to be on track to take home some predominantly Chinese seats outside the major urban centres.
One such seat is Repok where BN-SUPP’s David Teng will defend his seat in a straight fight against DAP’s Dr Wong Hua Seh.

“All this while, our chances have always been spoiled by a third candidate which resulted in us losing marginally.

However, this time, we managed to have straight fights, which is good for our chances,” said a DAP grassroots leader in Sarikei.

Wong, 59, had contested in the 2008 parliamentary election in Sarikei and lost by a mere 51 votes against BN candidate Ding Kuong Hing in the five-way contest.

Checks in other areas however indicated that the opposition based DAP is not having it all easy.

There are other seats which the party was facing an uphill battle.

It would face difficulty in safeguarding seats like Meradong and Kota Sentosa seats.

It would also face a massive hurdle in trying to capture Piasau, Bawang Assan and Dudong.



BN-SUPP seems to be on the right track to regain some lost ground in Meradong where a new face, Ling Sie King, a businessman, is putting pressure on DAP incumbent Ting Tze Fui.

Still early stages
SUPP is proving to be no pushover in this election.

It is more united this time around, says a local party observer, and will receive a boost in its campaign with Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin scheduled to visit the constituency on April 11.

“Almost every night, there are 100 dinner tables sponsored by some wealthy individuals or tycoon backing SUPP.

“We find it difficult to organise a dinner event for our campaign,” said a DAP member in Bintangor.

Meanwhile SUPP is expected not to have any problems in bumiputera majority seats like  Simanggang, Engkilili and two other Bidayuh seats.

DAP central committee member Jeff Ooi said they are still facing uphill battles in the bumiputera-majority areas where the party is contesting.

DAP is pitting new face, Leon Jimmy Donald to face incumbent Francis Harden from BN-SUPP in Simanggang.

The strong support for the DAP can be seen from the large crowd attending its ceramah almost everywhere.

However this does not alarm SUPP leaders as they feel that it is still early stages of campaigning and that people turned-up at the talks due to curiosity.

“DAP claims many people have attended their ceramah but most of them who came were SUPP members sent to monitor these opposition organised events,” claimed SUPP Sibu chief  Wong Soon Koh.