Victors wake up early to thank voters

Heartfelt gratitude: Ting (second from left) visiting a market to thank voters after winning the Piasau seat. — Bernama

MIRI: A day after his victory in the Sarawak polls, newly-elected Piasau assemblyman Datuk Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew was up and about early to greet and thank voters.

“Win or lose, I had planned to meet them and express my thanks for casting their votes in the state election.

“I’m so grateful to have another chance to serve them. I hope I will be able to do my best for them for the next five years,” said Ting, who woke up at 5am to meet his voters at the Old Men Street here.

Also present were his wife Datin Sylvia Lim and their son Malcolm.

Ting, 66, from SUPP, won back the Piasau seat with a 2,112-vote majority, securing 7,799 votes to defeat the DAP incumbent Alan Ling Sie Kiong, who garnered 5,687 votes.

Datuk Lee Kim Shin, who was re-elected in Senadin for the fifth consecutive term, also began his day early to meet his voters.

Seen at five different locations in his constituency from 8.30am, Lee, who is also from SUPP, even launched the Miri Bike Week here before leaving for Kuching to attend a party meeting.

He said this was his normal routine since his first term as an assemblyman.

“I'm always happy to meet the voters. From their body language, I know their support is genuine. I will not take that for granted and I promise to do my level best for them and the constituency,” he said.

Lee defeated DAP candidate Dr Bob Baru Langup and Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru’s Philemon John Edan to win the seat.

Meanwhile, the turnout and spoilt votes for Bukit Saban seat were 6,584 and 135 respectively.