Mussen the perfect choice: Dr Chan
SUPP president confident BN will retain Batang Ai because candidate gets nod from all coalition members
(The Borneo Post) MIRI: Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) president Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan yesterday described the Barisan Nasional’s nominee for Batang Ai by-election, Malcolm Mussen Lamoh, as the “perfect choice”.
Dr Chan said coalition members had been pining for total commitment and cooperation within the BN, thus Mussen’s nomination should be BN’s best chance of winning the April 7 by-election.
“In fact, even now all I hear is unanimous agreement, hence Mussen is the BN’s perfect choice and his candidacy is an assurance that the BN flag will fly high in Batang Ai,” Dr Chan told reporters after attending the 47th Junior Chamber International (JCI) Miri installation and award ceremony at Dynasty Hotel here.
Dr Chan, who is deputy chief minister, said in the true spirit of the BN, it did not matter that Mussen is from Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) because foremost priority now is the state BN could not afford to allow alien politics to gain a footing in the state’s rural constituency.
He said seats like Batang Ai needed to be further developed and that the people must be told in all sincerity that their standard of living could only be improved with the commitment of the BN.
Dr Chan also said that he could see that Mussen was the perfect person to help address problems faced by the people in Batang Ai because he was born and raised there.
“Besides he has all the qualifications, academic or just as a person. All we need
On the isues that may be harped upon by the opposition, Dr Chan said it was one thing to criticise but another to implement policies.
“BN does not just make promises but fulfill them too. Our track record in the last 50 years is proof of that.
“But can the opposition claim to have done the same thing other than criticising and promising the moon and the stars?” Dr Chan argued.
Dr Chan said the BN would always strive to meet the people’s demand wherever it was practical and proper to do so, but in the case of some land-related issues which were complicated it would take time to find a satisfactory answer.
“We cannot just say to the people we have all the power to do things overnight. That is sheer stupidity and a lie. You can’t solve complex problems overnight,” he said. He advised the voters of Batang Ai not to fall prey to the empty promises of the opposition because if they did they would soon find the truth to be bitter.
“Be realitic, the simple truth is that we cannot hope to change for the better through one by-election. On the other hand, the BN has always been there to see that the rakyat prosper through opportunities created by development projects,” Dr Chan added.
Batang Ai by-election comes as the result of the demise of its incumbent Datuk Dublin Unting Ingkot on Feb 24.
On Saturday Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud announced that PRS had nominated Mussen to defend the seat and that he found the nominee had “fulfilled BN’s criteria”.
“We have unanimously endorsed the PRS candidate,” Taib was reported to have said.
