KUCHING, Dec 14 — Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) candidate for Padungan Datuk Wee Hong Seng has appealed to Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Kuching branch to rally behind him in fighting their all-time opponent Chong Chieng Jen from Democratic Action Party (DAP) to wrest the seat from the opposition in the 12th state election.

The Kuching South Mayor has termed SUPP Kuching branch chairperson Datuk Lily Yong as his personal friend whom he had rendered support to when she stood in the state seat in the past elections.

"I fully understand her (Yong’s) disappointment and frustration. I shall respect her views and stance. Datuk Lily Yong and I are personal friends. We met up frequently both in official functions and over dinners.

"We had many constructive and positive conversations over the years in past elections. We worked closely for the sake of our party where I rendered unwaveringly my support for both herself and Kuching branch’s nominated candidate for Padungan.

"When there’s conflict, I pray that we place comradeship above all in the coming state election. I shall appeal to Datuk Lily Yong in both my capacity as the GPS candidate for Padungan and as personal friend that we resolve our differences, misunderstanding and disagreement as a family beneath the umbrella of GPS and SUPP in the name of collective responsibility,” he said in a video shared on Facebook today.

The video was posted in light of Yong’s announcement last night that SUPP Kuching branch had dissolved its election machinery for Padungan due to the last-minute change of candidate, and that Wee was not nominated by the branch.

Wee pointed out that both he and SUPP Kuching branch shared a single all-time opponent – DAP’s Chong Chieng Jen whom they believe was unworthy of winning Padungan.

"I humbly ask for your (Yong’s) assistance to help SUPP and GPS to win back Padungan seat, which has been held by DAP and PKR for many years,” he said.

He believed that his election manifesto, if materialised, would bring the development of Padungan to another height, and that SUPP Kuching branch would also benefit from it.

Last night, Yong said it had been a tradition and usual practice of SUPP that candidates for each state constituency the party was contesting in were recommended by the respective branches.

She said the SUPP Kuching branch had recommended two names – Bong Lian Huan and Jong Yean Pin, adding that the GPS candidate is not a member of Kuching branch and that his party membership is even less than three years, which is not eligible to run an election on the SUPP ticket according to the party’s Constitution.

In the 12th state election, Wee is taking on Democratic Action Party heavyweight Chong Chieng Jen as well as Sarawak People’s Aspiration Party candidate Lina Soo and Parti Bumi Kenyalang candidate Raymond Thong in a four-cornered fight.

Yong was the Padungan assemblywoman from 2001 to 2006. She was defeated by Dominque Ng from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) in the 2006 state polls.

Prior to the 2011 state election, PKR and DAP swapped Padungan and Batu Lintang. Wong King Wei, who stood on the DAP ticket in the 2011 polls, retained Padungan for the opposition.

Wong, who successfully defended the seat in the 2016 state election, quit DAP in July last year. — Borneo Post