SWP announces all candidates, Sng Chee Hua for Selangau
Borneo Post April 19, 2013, Friday
WIN THEM ALL: Larry (centre) and four other SWP candidates (from left) Sng, Ellison, George and Wilfred raise their hands together as a sign of confidence that the party will win all six seats from PRS. The candidates also received their letters of authorisation after the press conference. — Photo by Kong Jun Liung
KUCHING: An epic battle is shaping up in the Selangau parliamentary constituency this general election, where SWP’s advisor and political veteran Datuk Sng Chee Hua will battle against PRS deputy president Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun.
When announcing SWP’s candidates at the party’s headquarters here yesterday, its president and Sng’s son Larry Sng also revealed that former Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) general manager Wilfred Stephen Landong and 61-year-old lecturer Ellison Ludan would be the party’s candidates in Sri Aman and Kanowit respectively.
It had been earlier announced that that Larry himself, deputy president George Lagong and Meluan assemblyman Wong Judat would contest in Lubok Antu, Hulu Rajang and Julau respectively.
All the six seats SWP is contesting are PRS-held constituencies.
The senior Sng, when asked what had influenced him to return to active politics after an over decade-long hiatus, responded: “Joseph Entulu has invited me openly to challenge him. As a matter of fact, within this past one year I have been going to the ground to find a suitable candidate. He kept on insisting, so I do not want to disappoint him.
“At least (when I contest) he won’t be disappointed. Either he loses happily or I win happily, we don’t know, we will find out.”
To a reporter’s question on why “Entulu seems to like Sng so much”, the former Julau MP opined that it could because he (Sng) would be able to manage the constituency better than the Selangau incumbent.
The announcement was made to a packed press conference. Apart from Wong, all nominated candidates were present. Also present were SWP secretary-general Dr Ong Lark Sai, deputy publicity information chief Nancy Nais and supreme council member Jonathan Jalin.
Commenting on the party’s chances in the coming polls, Larry said based on its membership and assessment, SWP was confident to win in all the six parliamentary constituencies.
On 57-year-old Wilfred, the former assistant minister and former youth advisor clarified that Wilfred’s selection was not a last minute decision as he had constantly been working on the ground for quite some time.
“SWP assess the situation on the ground constantly and we have several candidates in mind for each constituency. He is our chosen candidate. Given that Wilfred is formerly a senior civil servant attached with SFC, he is very well versed on the issues on the ground.
“Considering that he is also a local, I believe that he will give a strong challenge to Sri Aman incumbent MP Masir Kujat,” explained Larry.
George, who is the party’s candidates selection committee chairman, said all candidates were selected based on ground assessment.
Sixty-six-year-old Sng’s last involvement in parliamentary election was in 1995 when he won in Julau under the Barisan Nasional (BN) ticket with a staggering 9,509 vote-majority. Sng received 10,730 votes to defeat independent candidates Edward Empra Kadom and Entalai Munan who garnered 1,221 and 391 votes respectively.
Sng also won uncontested in the 1996 state election in Pelagus before making way to his son Larry in the 2001 state polls.
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