KUCHING: Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) is poised for another landslide victory in the coming 13th Sarawak General Election (SGE13), buoyed by its strong performance and the leadership of Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
Batu Kitang incumbent, Datuk Lo Khere Chiang, said he believed GPS could secure a huge majority across most of the 82 constituencies, although he stopped short of predicting a 100 per cent victory.
He attributed the coalition’s electoral strength largely to Abang Johari’s leadership, describing the Premier as a visionary leader whose achievements had earned admiration beyond Sarawak.
“GPS has done very, very well. I am happy and the people of Sarawak are happy with GPS,” he said during a press conference at his service centre here today.
Lo said the Premier’s popularity was increasingly evident whenever he travelled to Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah, where people frequently spoke positively about Sarawak’s leadership and development.
“Every time I go to Semenanjung, you mention Sarawak, everybody on the street talks about our Abang Johari, your Abang Johari,” he said, adding that he received similar feedback during a recent visit to Sabah.
He drew parallels between Abang Johari’s leadership and that of former chief minister, the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem, whose popularity had helped SUPP and other Sarawak Barisan Nasional component parties secure a landslide victory in the 2016 state election.
“Today, it is a similar situation. Abang Johari has done so well. The whole of Malaysia, everywhere you go, everybody says your Abang Johari is number one,” he said.
Lo said the Premier’s contribution, coupled with GPS’ performance and its ‘Sarawak First’ agenda, would be significant factors in securing another strong mandate.
On the Premier’s recent indication that four incumbent SUPP assemblymen, including the Batu Kitang representative, would be retained as candidates, Lo said he was humbled by the mention.
“I’m honestly humbled by Premier’s mention of our names on that day, including myself. I’m really humbled by it,” he said.
He added that he believed his supporters and voters in Batu Kitang would also welcome the indication.
However, Lo cautioned against taking electoral victory for granted, stressing that public sentiment could change right up to polling day.
“Having been in the political business for so many years, I would not speculate because anything can happen,” he said.
He also urged GPS leaders and candidates to avoid making statements that could negatively affect public sentiment during the campaign period.
“I must make sure I don’t make any silly statements from here on until the day of the election, because that will cost me votes,” he said.
While expressing confidence that GPS would win in most of the 82 constituencies, Lo said the outcome in Batu Kitang would ultimately be determined by the voters.
“As far as Batu Kitang is concerned, I leave it to the people in Batu Kitang,” he said.
