KUCHING, April 3(Bernama) -- Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) is banking on its batch of new faces which includes several professionals to help wrest back seats it lost to the opposition in the last state election.
SUPP president and Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan said the seven newcomers among its 19 candidates stood a good chance of winning the upcoming state election on April 16.
Dr Chan said the fielding of the batch of doctors, lawyers and entreprenuers was also in line with the party's transformation and revival plans.
"The Prime Minister wants winnable candidates, so we chose winnable candidates after intensive discussions with the Chief Minister and the PM," he told reporters after the BN list was unveiled at the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) headquarters in Jalan Bako, here Sunday.
PBB, SUPP, Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) form the state BN.
"We already said that we want to transform, so this is one of the ways we do it. We want to groom more young people to take over from us," added Dr Chan.
The new faces are engineer Sim Kiang Chiok who will be contesting Padungan, cardiologist Professor Dr Sim Kui Hian (Pending), consultant Sih Hua Tong (Batu Lintang), journalist-turned-businessman Ling Kie King (Meradong), architect Chieng Buong Toon (Bukit Assek) and lawyer Henry Ling (Kidurong).
Another candidate is business tycoon and Lanang MP Datuk Tiong Thai King, who will take up the challenge for SUPP in Dudong.
Former Batu Kawah state assemblyman Datuk Alfred Yap is making a comeback but will stand in Kota Sentosa.
Dr Chan will be defending the Piasau seat in his Miri hometown.
SUPP retained incumbents Ranum Mina (Opar), Tan Joo Phoi (Batu Kawah), Dr Jerip Susil (Bengoh), Datuk Francis Harden Hollis (Simanggang), Datuk David Teng (Repok), Datuk Sri Wong Soon Koh (Bawang Assan), Johnichal Rayong (Engkilili), Vincent Goh Chung Siong (Pelawan), Andy Chia Chu Fatt (Pujut) and Datuk Lee Kim Shin (Senadin).
SUPP suffered a big setback in the 2006 state election when it won only 12 of 19 seats it contested.
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