‘Ploy won’t work with urban voters’

DAP has decribed the new federation of Chinese associations as a 'rotten wine in a new bottle'.

KUCHING:  Sarawak DAP has described the formation of a new federation of Chinese associations as a ‘ploy’ to prop up Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud’s image among the Chinese community or the urban community.

Its secretary Chong Chieng Jen said the second obvious reason was to ensure former assemblyman Larry Sng’s political relevance.

“It’s a ploy to support Taib. It also gives Larry Sng a platform through which he can carry out his activities,” said Chong.

Chong was commenting on the formation of a new federation which comprised seven clans in Sibu.

The formation of the new federation which was given prominent publicity by the Chinese and local dailies is speculated to be a political party in the making with aims of replace the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP).

Rejected by the Chinese community, SUPP managed to win only two seats out of 15 Chinese majority seats it contested in the April state election.

Sng, who is partyless after being sacked from Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) four years ago is alleged to be the financier and the prime mover of the association.

Won’t change political pattern
On Wednesday he arranged for a delegation of 1,200 of the would-be members of the federation from Sibu to Kuching to wish the Chief Minister a ‘Happy Hari Raya’.

“Even if he (Sng) arranges another 10,000 people to see the Chief Minister, it will not change anything.

“It will not change the pattern of politics in the urban areas as long as the state BN government does not stop corruption, abuse of power and cronyism,” said Chong, who is Kota Sentosa assemblyman.

“What the urban community rejects is the policy of the BN government.

“Being highly educated and accessible to information, the urban people know what is wrong and what is right.

“So whether you form a new party to replace SUPP or to change all the leaders in SUPP, it does not matter. They can go on dreaming,” he said.

Aiming to confuse Chinese
Chong said DAP would urge urban voters to decide between ‘choosing a corrupt regime or clean government’.

“The urban voters must choose either a corrupt regime or a clean government for change.

“So (whether it is) by changing all these SUPP leaders or even forming another party claiming to replace SUPP, what needs to be replaced at the end of the day is the BN which practises cronyism and corruption.

“You may change the brand or the outlook of the SUPP or even the leadership, (but)  if the cronyism and corruption are not changed the urban people will continue to reject SUPP,”  Chong added.

He believed it will not be easy to convince the urban voters, adding that it is not only the SUPP leadership that needs to be changed but ‘even Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu party needed to change’.

Asked whether the new federation would pose a threat to DAP, Chong said it may confuse the people.

“I am confident the urban people will not be confused easily, because they know it is a ploy.

“They know it is a rotten wine being put into a new bottle. A rotten wine will always remain rotten,” he said, adding that the people will not be foolish not to recognise it.