DAP needs to work harder, says Pua
By Joseph Tawie, Free Malaysia Today
KUCHING: The huge turnouts at DAP ceramahs should not be used as a measure to rate DAP’s chances in the upcoming Sarawak election, said party political director Tony Pua.
He warned his party members and supporters not to be complacent and take for granted the huge number of people attending their nightly ‘ceramahs’ as it could be misleading.
“The big attendances, though very encouraging, may give a false picture to what is actually happening.
“If we are complacent, we may lose all the four seats that DAP is contesting in Kuching. There is a real danger.
“We must all work very hard,” he declared.
Pua, who is Petaling Jaya Utara parliamentarian, was asked to comment on the chances of DAP candidates in Padungan, Pending, Batu Kawah and Kota Sentosa constituencies.
“In Padungan, we see a three-cornered fight. In the 2006 state election, the majority was 1,417 votes.
“All you need is for the third party to take away 1,000 votes or more, we might lose the Padungan seat.
“I think this is the main concern of DAP. He is going to be a real spoiler,” Pua said, alluding to Padungan incumbent Dominique Ng who has chosen to contest as an independent after his former party PKR decided to swap Padungan with DAP’s Batu Lintang seat.
With the swap PKR is now contesting in Batu Lintang and DAP in Padungan.
High profile candidate
On Pending seat, Pua said that on paper the majority in the previous election was big.
“But of course SUPP has its best and high profile candidate in the person of Dr Sim Kui Hian, who is very respectable.
“As a well-known cardiologist, he can attract more voters,” he said.
“We have to drive home the message that no matter how professional he is, whether he is a top lawyer or a top doctor or a top architect, we have to reject him from being elected to the legislative assembly, if he supports Taib Mahmud (Chief Minister).
“In politics if you support Taib, you have to be rejected. We are not electing a doctor but a politician.
“And if we fail to drive home that message, Pending is in danger,” he said.
The DAP, he said, could also lose in Kota Sentosa, because of the additional 5,000 new voters and postal voters of 3,000.
