SIBU, Dec 9 — There is no such thing as a sure win in an election, even for a very seasoned politician, said GPS candidate for Dudong, Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.

Contesting for the first time in the constituency, the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) president is a five-term member of parliament for Bintulu with quite a rich history in politics.

He has been touted as having a good chance of winning Dudong, which will see eight candidates slugging it out in the hotly-contested seat, the highest number of multi-cornered fights in the 12th Sarawak state election.

“But the truth is, there is no such thing as a ‘sure win’ in this world. We must continue to serve the people with humility and sincerity,” he said in a post on Facebook today.

He said votes will be split and scattered inevitably in the eight-sided contest but that was to be expected, adding that what was important is to frequently engage with the locals and take note of their concerns.

He stressed that politics is not about shouting slogans or gaining support by deception.

“In politics, I’ll be upfront with you. If I am able, I’ll get it done to the best of my abilities. Otherwise, it is wrong to promise the sun and the moon, and come up with nothing in the end,” he said in the post.

The prime minister’s special envoy to China said one must be down to earth and help the people see a clear vision and direction for future development and help them live a good life.

“It is useless to rush out with grand plans without walking alongside the people of Dudong and solving local issues by prioritising the most urgent needs first such as infrastructure and flood mitigation upgrades.

“And then, continue to move on to optimising what needs to be done,” he stressed.

 “To the question of whether I will continue my duties as Bintulu MP and special envoy to China, I would say that I am nothing without a trustworthy team because I cannot do it all alone,” he further said in his post.

“You may ask the people of Bintulu whether I have ignored them since being appointed special envoy. I may have lapsed on some matters but this is normal for everyone.

Tiong said through various channels, he had done his best to find the best ways to resolve the issues brought to his attention and expressed hope that the voters can choose rationally the candidates who have proven that they can make a difference in the areas they serve.

“If they are worthy of your trust, give them a chance. Choose the state assemblyperson who deserves it,” he said.

Apart from Tiong, vying for the Dudong seat are Wong Hie Ping of Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB), Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) candidate Jane Lau, Julius Enchana of Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDS Baru), Paul Ling of DAP, Josephine Lau (Aspirasi), while Fadhil Mohd Isa and Engga Unchat are Independent candidates. — Bernama