THE issue of foul play in the May 16 Sibu by-election is hotly debated by DAP and SUPP leaders as well as other BN’s component parties including the president of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Dato Sr Dr James Masing Jemut.
The latest was when DAP State Assemblyman for Kota Sentosa Chong Chieng Jen advised Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh to stop telling lies and giving unbelievable excuses for SUPP’s loss in Sibu by-election.
Chong has asked Soon Koh to accept the fact that BN has failed the people after 47 years.
In a press statement, Chong said it has become blatantly obvious that SUPP is still clueless why BN lost the Sibu by-election, for they have clearly lost touch with the needs and interests of the voters.
In his winding up speech in the Sarawak State Assembly, Sooon Koh the Second Finance Minister made a litany of baseless and unbelievable accusations against the DAP.
But Chong said Soon Koh made no attempt to understand the fact that the people of Sibu has had enough of the decades of abuse, cronyism and corruption by the Barisan Nasional state government.
Chong further said that Soon Koh made the laughable claim that the DAP is now extremely rich for flying over hundreds of campaigners to Sibu to assist in the recent Sibu by-election.
“We would like to inform him (Soon Koh) that almost all DAP campaigners, be they Members of Parliament, State Assemblymen or ordinary members, took care of their own expenses without burdening the party,” he pointed out.
In addition, to save expenses, most of them stayed either with party members in Sibu or in low-budget hotels, he added.
“Unlike Barisan Nasional leaders, we do not fly first class, nor stay at 5-star hotels which are paid for by the federal or state government, under the pretext of carrying out their government duties, despite obviously campaigning for the SUPP candidate,” he stated.
Chong further highlighted that despite having nearly full control over the 3Ms, money, media and machinery, Wong Soon Koh has the cheek to accuse DAP of employing “dirty tactics” to win the Sibu by-election.
Despite Soon Koh claims, Chong said the SUPP leader has provided absolutely no evidence of foul play to date. On the other hand, according Chong it was BN which has handed out cash liberally to voters in order to entice votes.
“The DAP has consistently based our campaign on the fact that the State BN leaders have overstayed their welcome, that cronyism, corruption and nepotism are rampant in BN and that SUPP has failed to defend the key tenet of Sarawak’s 18-point agreement to join Malaysia, the guarantee of freedom of religion. Are these dirty tactics or are these the ugly truth that BN leader refuse to admit?” he asked.
Pointing out that it was ridiculous Soon Koh had also accused DAP of intimidation tactics to scare voters from voting resulting in the very low turnout of 59.8%.
“Soon Koh must be joking for DAP has neither the ability or the power to intimidate, but are instead victims of intimidation and injustice as BN has full control over the Election Commission and the police force.
“What is worse is that Wong Soon Koh is basing his claim on a wrong piece of information provided by the EC that the turnout is only 59.8% when in actual fact, the EC has already corrected this figure to 70% voter turnout, which is higher than the last general elections in 2008,” he said.
He said Soon Koh should admit that the BN’s defeat in Sibu is caused by the ineffectiveness of SUPP in BN, the oppressive policies of BN and the rampant corruption, nepotism and cronyism of BN.
“The denial syndrome that BN has failed the people of Sibu and Sarawak will only result in a bigger loss for BN come the next state elections in Sarawak,” he concluded.
