THE Pujut by-election will be an early indicator of how the general election will shape out, Sarawak DAP chief Chong Chieng Jen said.

He was reacting to the Election Commission’s announcement of the by-election dates today. Nomination is on June 20 and polling on July 4.

“It will be a prelude to the GE,” the Kota Sentosa assemblyman said in a media conference at the state legislative assembly.

“The result will determine the fate of this country – whether we will still be governed by a kleptocractic government.”

“A big victory for Pakatan Harapan in Pujut will definitely give great momentum to the general election,” Chong said as he called on voters “to teach the Barisan Nasional a lesson”. 

Chong said the disqualification of the Pujut assemblyman Dr Ting Tiong Choon “manifested the highhanded manner (in which) the BN government does things”.

“They are relying on ‘might is right’ and the majority rule regardless, Chong said of Barisan Nasional’s disqualification of Ting from participation in the state assembly after an attempt to do it in the Election Court was thrown out on technicalities.

Ting was disqualified on the grounds that he was once an Australian citizen and therefore in breach of Article 17(1)(g) of the state constitution.

Seventy BN lawmakers voted to disqualify Ting against 10 opposition lawmakers – seven DAP , three PKR – who voted no.

Will the 26,532 voters in Pujut allow the 70 BN members to deprive them of their representative whom they chose in a fair fight in the election last year, asked Chong.

Say “no” and teach BN a lesson, he urged.

Chong said DAP will meet soon to decide on its candidate while the party’s election machinery in Miri has been told to prepare for the by-election.

BN, however, is in no rush to pick its candidate.

Asked if the coalition would be meeting soon to decide who will run for BN, Chief Minister and state BN chairman Abang Johari Openg said:“No hurry. Still too early”.

Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) president Prof Dr Sim Kui Hian, has indicated that his party will be a contender for Pujut, which he declared “belonged to SUPP” via a candidate who will be “a local from Miri”.

Sim said SUPP had made its pick while hinting that he was one of the names shortlisted for the Miri parliamentary seat for the coming general election.

“It will be represented by a BN party,” he insisted.

In the state election last year, BN fielded “BN direct candidate” businessman Hii King Chiong from the United People’s Party (UPP), a party made up of SUPP rebels which is not a member of the four-party state BN coalition.

Dr Ting polled 8,899 votes to Hii’s 7,140 to win a four-cornered contest for the seat.

PAS’ Jofri Jaraiee polled 513 votes while the incumbent, a former DAP member who stood as an independent, polled 375 votes.

Chong reiterated that DAP will be challenging Ting’s disqualification in court.

Wong King Wei on the DAP legal team handling the challenge yesterday said the court filing would be made “soonest”.

Wong, who is also the Padungan assemblyman, said the legal challenge is based on the fact that “nowhere in the Federal Constitution or Sarawak Constitution” is it stated that the Sarawak state assembly has the power to disqualify an assemblymen.

“The disqualification of Dr Ting must be based on a finding of the court of law as to whether there is violation of the constitution.”

He said BN had bypassed the court and taken the power of adjudication power into its own hands. – May 19, 2017.