SIBU: DAP’s newest parliamentarian Wong Ho Leng is euphoric. He has finally seen his dream!
As at 11pm, May 16, 2010, fifty-one year old Wong had officially slayed the mighty BN dragon and redeemed DAP’s place in Sibu’s history.
“It has come after 24 years…it has been a long wait for DAP and me…sweetest victory,” he said with contentment in his voice.
On Friday night, amidst the sweltering heat, he told FMT he could “now see the dream ... it's different this time, very different. I can feel the mood... I can see the dream”.
This is Wong’s fourth attempt at winning the parliamentary seat.
Most punters had reduced his odds after Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s whirlwind visit yesterday in a last ditch attempt to secure a thumping majority for BN through candidate Robert Lau Hui Yew.
But Wong, who is also Bukit Assek assemblymen, has survived the ‘political death’ associated with the number ‘4’, in the Chinese culture.
And frankly, he has Najib to thank.
Najib missed his date
Until late yesterday, intelligence sources had predicted a 65% voter support from the Malay-Melanau community.
This figure was supposed to have increased with Najib's meet-the people session in Kampung Hilir in Nangka last night.
But Najib did not turn up in Kampung Hilir, and as the old saying goes ‘hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'.
Some 100 women, old and young, some carrying children waited patiently for him, ecstatic at the prospect for meeting their premier.
Najib did not turn up and to quote a disappointed Puan Zainab, “he does not care… he could have walked … we are a kampung”.
Despite having an 80-year history, Kampung Hilir has never been visited by a prime minister.
Najib has visited Sibu three times since the announcement of the by-elections and his focus has always been on swinging in the Chinese votes. He had never once stepped foot in the Malay-Melanau locality which fringes the Sibu city.
Perhaps yesterday’s dismissal of the community which eagerly awaited four hours for his visit was the final straw.
Low Malay-Melanau turnout
The voter turnout today from the Malay-Melanau community in the Nangka constituency was low, according to a PAS campaigner who has been working with the community for the last two weeks.
According to her it was lower than in 2008 and it was as if they did not care.
“We know they were very unhappy with the way Najib dismissed them.. they (the women) had waited for a long time and he humiliated them by not turning up.
“He has visited Sibu three times and has met with the Chinese community and given money to the churches. But gave the Malays nothing,” she said.
Incidently just over 50 percent of Sibu's voters are women and this includes the women in Kampung Hilir.
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