‘Democracy is the only system that persists in asking the powers that be whether they are the powers that ought to be.’
– Sydney J. Harris, American journalist.
IT is six days to polling day. Malaysia goes to polls on Nov 19. Do you know where you will be voting this 15th general election?
A friend shared the link MySPRSemak with me and after logging into the site, I know now my area of voting and the time allocated for me to vote.
On Nov 19, I will be casting my vote in Bandar Kuching and the time allocated to me is between 7.30 am and 9.30 am.
There are many hot seats in Sarawak this general election and Bandar Kuching is one of them.
There will be a three-cornered fight for the seat. Involved in the tussle are Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) candidate Tay Tze Kok, Democratic Action Party (DAP) incumbent Dr Kelvin Yii and Voon Lee Shan of Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PBS).
Ninety-two candidates are vying for the 31 parliamentary seats in Sarawak and GPS, the state’s ruling coalition comprising Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) and Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), is contesting in all the seats.
Bandar Kuching is one of the 17 seats facing three-cornered fights in GE15. The general election in Sarawak sees eight straight fights, five seats with four-cornered fights and one five-cornered fight.
According to the data from the Election Commission (EC) as of Oct 9, 2022, the total number of voters in Sarawak is 1,943,074. They comprise 975,618 male voters (50.21 per cent) and 967,455 female voters (49.79 per cent).
On Nov 19, I will be watching closely the results for Bandar Kuching, Sibu and Lanang.
Will Dr Yii, who is contesting for Pakatan Harapan (PH), win the seat again this election? He said he would fight for education and jobs for young people as well as age care and economic care for the elderly in Bandar Kuching and in Malaysia in general.
The other contender for the seat, Voon, said PSB wanted to restore all rights lost in Sarawak after the formation of Malaysia.
I am interested in Sibu and Lanang because I hail from Sibu and was born and bred there. Sibu and Lanang are federal constituencies in Sibu Division.
In GE15, Sibu is one of the hot seats in central Sarawak. There is a three-cornered fight between two-term DAP incumbent, Oscar Ling, GPS candidate Clarence Ting and Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PBS) candidate, Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh who is also the party president.
Ting is Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) chairman while Wong is a seasoned politician.
A political analyst Dr Lee Kuok Tiung thinks that all three candidates stand an equal chance of winning.
He points out that Ling has an advantage because urban voters are synonymous with voting for the opposition while Ting represents GPS, currently the most glamorous political coalition in Sarawak, while Wong is a seasoned politician.
Besides, Bandar Kuching, Lanang is another traditional DAP stronghold in Sarawak.
Yesterday, GPS Lanang candidate, Wong Ching Yong made the front page headline in New Sarawak Tribune when he promised to donate his MP salary of RM16,000 per month for five years to Chinese Independent Schools if he won.
“I’ll donate my salary,” screamed the headline.
“RM16,000 monthly is a lot of money. If he does that, how is his family going to survive?” I asked myself.
Wong is involved in a three-cornered fight in Sibu. His contenders are DAP incumbent Alice Lau Kiong Yieng and Priscilla Lau of PBS.
Columnist Rudi Affendi Khalik has said in his “Kopi Panas Politik” column in New Sarawak Tribune that it will not be easy this time for DAP to defend Sibu and Lanang because its fortress at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly level has been shaken and is unsteady.
One thing’s for sure. GPS is expected to win big in GE15 because of the good work the state government has done in fighting for the state’s rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
Premier and GPS chairman Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg wants to win all 31 seats to secure a louder voice in parliament to safeguard Sarawak’s rights.
In his message for the GPS election manifesto, Abang Johari said the people of Sarawak must ensure a landslide victory of GPS.
“The GE15 will determine the direction and future of the people of Sarawak and Malaysia,” he said.
“With more representatives from Sarawak, we will have a bigger voice to enable us to formulate laws that benefit Sarawak.
“The interests of Sarawak will also be prioritised by the federal government when formulating its policies, initiatives and allocation of development funds,“ the premier added.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said it was crucial for GPS to win as many seats as possible in order to be strong, respected and to effectively manage the state.
He said with a bountiful harvest of seats, the premier could then focus on how to generate more income for the state.
My friends, with polling day round the corner, make sure you know your area of voting and the time allocated for you to vote. Go out to vote. Do your part for democracy in Malaysia.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
