KUCHING, Nov 7 — Pakatan Harapan (PH) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen has challenged Sarawak United People’s Party’s (SUPP) respective candidates for Bandar Kuching and Stampin, Eric Tay Tze Kok and Lo Khere Chiang, to name their choice for prime minister.

Chong, who will be contesting in Stampin in the 15th general election (GE15), said he was throwing this challenge against the background that Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), where SUPP is a component party, had already rejected PH, which is supporting Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Based on this observation, he said the SUPP candidates would be left with four options: Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin of Bersatu, Umno’s Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, and Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang of Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS).

"Amongst these four names, who is your choice for prime minister?

"That’s the challenge that we are throwing to SUPP candidates for Bandar Kuching and Stampin,” he said during a press conference at Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak headquarters here yesterday.

Chong, who is also DAP Sarawak chairman, claimed that ‘Sarawak needed to know’ what SUPP’s stand was in this matter, as one of many factors to be considered when voting.

"For all parliamentary elections, the most important element for any coalition that goes into the elections is to tell the voters who will be its choice for prime minister.

"If you cannot even name a prime minister candidate for your coalition, or yourself, or your party, then you are ‘purposeless’ in this whole election.

"Or, you are trying to hide something from the voters,” he said, also pointing out that the GPS had yet to reveal its stand as well.

"Up to this second day (of campaign period), SUPP and their candidates, and even the GPS have not announced their choice for prime minister.

"They should be forthcoming, to be frank and truthful to the people,” he stressed.

Chong also commented about SUPP’s campaign call for Sarawakian voters to give GPS more seats, in which he said a landslide victory for GPS would deprive the people of the essence of democracy.

"I believe the essence of democracy is checks and balances.

"If GPS were to have landslide victory in GE15, that would be an absolute power being given to GPS. Sarawakians will be deprived of checks and balances.

"Giving GPS absolute power will do no good,” he said. — Borneo Post Online