UPP eyeing central, northern region seats in next general election
KUCHING: United People’s Party ( UPP) will recommend its most winnable candidates to Barisan Nasional ( BN) leaders for the coming general election.
UPP president Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh told The Borneo Post yesterday UPP had been very strong and effective in the central and northern regions since its formation.
“As a party, we have been serving diligently and sincerely. And we are particularly confident in the the central and northern regions. A good rapport has been established between UPP and the people of the area.”
“That is why we are confident of strengthening BN by offering winnable candidates in the two regions,” said Wong, who is the Second Finance Minister.
Wong is rumoured to be grooming his son Datuk Andrew Wong to stand in Sibu parliamentary seat while Dudong assemblyman Datuk Tiong Thai King is preparing UPP Dudong women chief Connie Loh for the Lanang seat.
In Miri, it is speculated that Datuk Hii King Chiong, former UPP candidate for Pujut and Pujut branch chairman Bruce Chai are the two most likely candidates to be chosen by UPP.
Sarawak has 31 parliamentary
As a party, we have been serving diligently and sincerely. And we are particularly confident in the the central and northern regions. A good rapport has been established between UPP and the people of the area.
seats and under a BN understanding on seat allocation Sarawak United People’s Party is allocated seven of them including Bandar Kuching, Stampin, Serian, Sarikei, Lanang, Sibu and Miri.
In the 2013 general election, SUPP retained only Serian, where its deputy president Datuk Seri Richard Riot won for the fifth consecutive term while it failed to defend all other six seats.
However, SUPP president Senator Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian had recently said his party would stand in all the seven seats by fielding six new faces in Bandar Kuching, Stampin, Sarikei , Lanang, Sibu and Miri and Riot again in Serian.
Thus UPP’s attempt to field any of its members as BN friendly candidates in any of the seats is expected to be met with strong opposition from the SUPP.
UPP has a good track record in fielding BN friendly candidates as in the last state election on May 7 it won five of the seven seats it wrested from the 19 seats allocated to SUPP.
Of the seven seats given to UPP, Bawang Assan, Dudong, Pelawan and Pujut are Chinese majority seats while the rest are Bumiputera majority seats.
The party retained Bawang Assan, Dudong, Opar, Mambong and Engkilili but lost in Pelawan and Pujut.
On the other hand, SUPP which was given 13 seats including the only new Chinese majority seat of Batu Kitang managed to recapture Batu Kawah, Repok, Meradong and Piasau while retaining Senadin and Simanggang.
The party failed to dislodge the opposition from Padungan, Kota Sentosa, Bukit Assek, Tanjong Batu, Pending and Batu Lintang.
The general election is expected to be held soon as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak who is also Umno president announced at his party’s General Assembly that the 14th general election may be held soon.
There are speculations that it may be held in April or May next year.
Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, UPP president