Sarawak Shocker

[Jose Mourinho]

In The Star this morning (21.5.2006)

KUCHING: A Barisan Nasional wish for a clean sweep in the ninth Sarawak state elections ended in shock for the coalition, which lost eight seats to the Opposition and one seat to an Independent.

It was the best performance by the Opposition in the state which also saw an increase in the popular votes for it.

Having won two of the 71 seats unopposed on nomination day, the four-party state coalition led by Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud found itself boxed in the Chinese majority constituencies in Sibu and Kuching.

Suffering the severest blow was the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), which lost eight of the 19 seats it contested. It lost six to the DAP and one each to Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and the Sarawak National Party (SNAP).

The Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party lost one seat to an Independent.

The seats lost to the DAP were Bukit Assek, Meradong, Kidurong, Pending, Batu Lintang and Kota Sentosa.

SNAP took the Dayak majority seat of Engkilili.

PKR made a breakthrough by taking the Padungan seat.

Among the biggest casualties was SUPP secretary-general and Assistant Minister of Culture and Urbanisation, Datuk Sim Kheng Hui. He lost the Pending seat to the DAP's Violet Yong Wui Wui.

Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister's Office, Datuk Alfred Yap Chin Loi of the SUPP lost to DAP's Chong Chieng Jen.

Another casualty was SUPP vice-president Lily Yong Lee Lee who lost the Padungan seat to Dominique Ng Kim Ho of PKR.

At his Demak Jaya house where state Barisan leaders were gathered, Taib said he did not know why, but added betting could be a factor.

Taib said he was disturbed with the defeat faced by SUPP, which was the second strongest party in the coalition.

“Although SUPP had been dealt a severe blow, one defeat did not mean the end of politics. SUPP needs to think of ways to strengthen party and get the support of all the communities,” he told reporters.

On PKR's win, Taib said it did not mean that the party was making inroads into Sarawak.

A visibly upset SUPP president Tan Sri Dr George Chan said he had called for a meeting today to analyse the party's performance.

“We want to know why we lost. We want the rakyat to tell us why they are so unhappy and why the Barisan lost so badly in Chinese areas.

................

Wind of Change to start from Sarawak? Perhaps so. It is also very interesting to note that in the some of the key seats BN-SUPP managed to win, they won by very slim majorities:

Repok: BN-SUPP won by 576 majority
Dudong: BN-SUPP won by 408 majority
Pelawan: BN-SUPP won by 263 majority

[Jose Mourinho]

PM Abdullah was quoted by The Star as saying "why did we lose the seats in the urban areas?" when speaking to DPM Najib during an eight-minute teleconferencing session telecast at Wisma TV in Angkasapuri yesterday. Najib was quoted as noting that areas which BN has lost to the opposition were Chinese-majority areas while the opposition could not easily sway the Malay voters.

What sort of question is that? And what sort of answer is that?

[Joe Gomez]

What sort of leaders do we have ??

[simon_tan]

Congratulations to the people of Sarawak. Let's all work together to bringing back a more balanced government.

[Joe Gomez]

Congratulations to the people of Sarawak. Let's all work together to bringing back a more balanced government.

But is it not annoying >>>>> the "katak di bawah tempurung" mindset of the leader and his heir apparent ????
Do they honestly believe that all Malays love them ???

[simon_tan]

Don't know the answer to that. In any case, must raise awareness to as many citizens to register as a voter, and participate by voting. When this happens, questions like those may be reduced to back room wispers, unlike now when it happens blatently.

[Jose Mourinho]

The Opposition won the urban areas with large population.

Padungan (90.45% Chinese) Dominic Ng Kim Ho of PKR won by 1417 majority over BN-SUPP's Vice-President, Lily Yong.

Pending (90.45% Chinese) Violet Yong Wui Wui of DAP won by 4372 majority over BN-SUPP's Datuk Sim Kheng Hui (I believe who has been there for 3 terms)

Batu Lintang (84.47% Chinese) Voon Lee Shan of DAP won by 3407 majority over BN-SUPP's Chan Seng Khai.

Kota Sentosa (77.15% Chinese) Chong Chieng Jen of DAP won by 531 votes over BN-SUPP's Datuk Alfred Yap Chin Loi.

Meradong (60.11% Chinese) Ting Tze Hui of DAP won by 3578 votes over BN-SUPP;s Ting Tze Hui.

Bukit Asset (94.95% Chinese) Wong Ho Leng of DAP won by 4751 votes over BN-SUPP's Daniel Ngieng Kiong Ann.

Kidurong (50.69% Chinese) Chiew Chiu Sing of DAP won by 1664 votes over BN-SUPP's Paul Yong Khing Kee.

[jasonbhlee]

The signals were already there. BN was just trying to tutup mata....that's what they have been doing all this while. Sarawakians have shown the way. Bn always takes the mosquito seats while the monster's seats goes to opposition. From the analysis of yesterday's election, Opposition ganered 38% of the popular votes , however they won only 12% of the seats contested. BN will again try to subdivide the rural areas yet again....

[Jose Mourinho]

Meradong (60.11% Chinese) Ting Tze Hui of DAP won by 3578 votes over BN-SUPP;s Ting Tze Hui. The DAP candidate is a young law graduate at 24, dubbed the cili padi of the state election, she gathered 5990 votes.

[Jose Mourinho]

From The Star today (21.5.2006)

KUCHING: The Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) suffered a severe blow when it lost eight of the 19 seats contested.

The 47-year-old party lost six seats to the DAP and one each to Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKS) and the Sarawak National Party (SNAP).

PKS and SNAP are members of Barisan Bersatu Sarawak – the state opposition alliance.

Among the SUPP strongmen who fell were two state assistant ministers – Datuk Sim Kheng Hui (secretary-general) and Datuk Alfred Yap Chin Loi (publicity and information secretary).

DAP newcomer Violet Yong created a major upset, unseating Sim in Pending, which he had represented for three years.

Yap, known for his strong grassroots support, was defeated by DAP's Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chien Jen in the new Kota Sentosa seat.

Incumbent Chan Seng Khai, also City South mayor, lost to DAP’s Voon Lee Shan in the rematch in Batu Lintang. They last fought in the 2001 polls.

SUPP vice-president Lily Yong Lee Lee failed to retain the Padungan seat, being ousted by PKS’ Dominic Ng Kim Ho.

The SUPP won only one of the five Chinese-majority seats in Kuching – first-timer Tan Joo Phoiwon in the Batu Kawa seat after beating PKR’s Wong Huang Yu.

In Bukit Assek, Sibu, SUPP incumbent Daniel Ngieng Kion Ann was thrashed by Sarawak DAP chairman Richard Wong Ho Leng.

It was sweet revenge for Ho Leng, who was unseated by Ngieng in the 2001 polls.

The other SUPP defeats were in Kidurong (Bintulu) and Meradong (Bintangor), also Chinese-predominant seats, and Iban-majority Engkilili (Sri Aman.)

Sim, who took the defeat calmly, said the party would conduct a post mortem to find out why it had lost so badly. “We know the opposition is good in stirring up the sentiments of the people. We have to investigate whether our loss might be due to internal problems or other factors,” he said after conceding defeat at the City South Council building. "Let's see what type of services the DAP can give,” he added.

Lily said the defeat was a lesson for the party and “we have to examine ourselves. It is the choice of the people and we cannot blame them.”

An overjoyed Ng, a lawyer contesting the seat for the third time, quipped: “It is third-time lucky.”

Ng said this was the first time that the opposition had won so many Chinese-majority seats in the state capital.

......................

I highlighted Datuk Sim Kheng Hui's (Secretary-General of BN-SUPP) comment. It is comments like this which infuriate voters even more. As long as there are arrogant people such as him, who thinks that voters are stupid people, then the Opposition has a real chance in future elections. He lost by a 4372 majority and he is still recalcitrant.

[Voter]

I have prayed that God will raise people of honesty, integrity and people oriented personnel to enter the Assembly. Let us continue to pray that those who are now elected will be God fearing and will serve their term according to God's Will.

I think it was not only the flooding, the fuel price etc problems which swung the votes against BN; rather the apparent lurk warm action to fighting injustice and corruption that prompted voters to send opposition ADUNs to perform some check and balance in the Assembly. The Penang Forumn, the "Close-One-Eye" episode, the over logging/unjustified developments causing floods, the pollution and environmental issues etc are some of the prompters. It would appear that most of the time political consideration has taken the upper hand over the real needs of the general population. It so happens that urban voters may be more matured in their thinking and wishing to bring about check and balance; hence most of the seats won by the Oppositions are urban seats. SUPP is perhaps in this case a victim of circumstances. Rural voters are more concerned about their daily life, having basic necessities etc.

May God bless Malaysia that with check and balance we will see a more balanced society.

[wira wan]

When they win, ........"The rakyat voted for us, because we can bring development"

When they lose,........"I blame the other people for not voting for us"

Crap.

[aurora97]

Meradong (60.11% Chinese) Ting Tze Hui of DAP won by 3578 votes over BN-SUPP;s Ting Tze Hui. The DAP candidate is a young law graduate at 24, dubbed the cili padi of the state election, she gathered 5990 votes.

Congratulations to Ms. Ting after shocking Sarawak polls, hope she makes parliament tremble as well!

[cskok8]

So it looks like the voters have not "voted wisely" and had been "hoodwinked" by the "opposition's lies".

Somebody idiot even blamed the recent redelineation of constituencies and the resultant increase in the number of seats. I thought all that had been done to ensure a BN clean sweep (ala "Pembangkang Sifar in our developed state)

[Jose Mourinho]

Congratulations to Ms. Ting after shocking Sarawak polls, hope she makes parliament tremble as well!

Sorry Aurora. This is Sarawak State Assembly and not Parliament (yet). The State Assembly debates are actually quite 'civilized'. Unlike Parliament where even the BN women MPs are at the tail-end of sexist jokes and narratives (I remember one about MAS stewardess and such likes etc) by some of their male colleagues. Absolutely disgusting behaviour.