Sarawak polls: Every candidate should make poverty eradication their election pledge

KUCHING: Poverty eradication should be the election pledge of every candidate contesting in the 12th Sarawak polls, says Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) candidate for Kota Sentosa Wilfred Yap.

Yap called on all candidates in Kota Sentosa to do the same, as he personally felt that poverty eradication should be the election pledge of every candidate.

“The mission to alleviate poverty stricken people is something that I feel should be an obligation and not just a campaign promise and that’s why I ask that whoever wins the Kota Sentosa seat should commit to do the same because it’s just the right thing to do.

“All the other candidates in this contest should similarly make a pledge as we are doing today, to make elevating of hardcore poverty as the first priority come the next five years,” he said in a statement on Wednesday (Dec 8).

Yap said Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) has developed Batu Kawah over the past five years since former assemblyman Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian won the seat in the previous state election in 2016.

Yap said the resettlement villages adjacent to Desa Wira in Batu Kawah should be used as a yardstick as the infrastructure improvements there have made a difference in improving the quality of life of locals there.

Yap said this could similarly be done at the Stampin resettlement scheme area, where he proposed to make it a much more beautiful and clean housing area.

“The potential growth in terms of property value alone will help the people significantly... The task of eliminating hardcore poor in the area is more achievable by a GPS representative.”

SUPP is a component party contesting under GPS’ banner in the 12th Sarawak state election.

The Kota Sentosa seat will be a five-cornered fight between Yap, DAP’s Michael Kong, Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) candidate Datuk John Lau Pang Heng, Sarawak People’s Aspiration Party (Aspirasi) Tan Kok Chiang, and Parti Bumi Kenyalang’s (PBK) Lue Cheng Hing.

The Kota Sentosa seat was previously held by state DAP chief Chong Chieng Jen for three terms since 2006.

In the 12th Sarawak state election, Chong will contest the Padungan state seat instead.

The Padungan seat is located in the centre of Kuching and Chong will be locked in a four-cornered fight with Kuching South Mayor and SUPP’s Datuk Wee Hong Seng, PBK’s Raymond Thong, and Aspirasi’s Lina Soo.

Early voting has been set at Dec 14 and polling on Dec 18.