DAP DOUBLES UP TO 12

By : MELISSA CHI

DAP recorded its biggest win in a Sarawak state election today when it won 12 out of the 15 seats it contested and scored the day’s biggest upset by defeating six-term incumbent Tan Sri George Chan Hong Nam for the Piasau seat.

Ling Sie Kiong’s victory over the deputy chief minister helped DAP double its representation in the state assembly.

“Judging from the results state-wide and the spectacular defeat of SUPP President and Deputy Chief Minister George Chan, it is now clearly untenable for Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud to remain in power,” said state DAP chief Wong Ho Leng, who won in Bukit Assek.

“The people of Sarawak have effectively delivered a vote of no confidence to the leadership of the chief minister. If he chooses to cling on to power, he will be openly defying the wishes of the people,” the Sibu MP added.

Ling beat Chan with a majority of 1,590 votes. The Election Commission (EC) said Ling took 5,998 votes against the incumbent who only received 4,408 votes. There were 73 spoilt votes out of the 10,479 ballots cast.

The 10 other seats won by DAP are N9 Padungan, N10 Pending, N12 Kota Sentosa, N13 Batu Kawah, N39 Repok, N40 Meradong, N46 Dudong, N48 Pelawan, N59 Kidurong and N64 Pujut.

The remaining seats of Simanggang, Bawang Assan, and Bukit Kota were lost to BN.

Chan first assumed office as a member of the Sarawak State Legislative for Piasau in 1983.

He has been the Deputy Chief Minister since September 9, 1996, and has been the President of the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), a major component of the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN), since 1997.

One of his daughters, Anisa Chan, is married to Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud’s son, Datuk Seri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman.

Chan’s loss is seen as a major upset as Ling, a 28-year-old lawyer, is a newcomer who only became a DAP life member in June last year.