Najib, Kit Siang in race to charm Chinese voters

Datuk Seri Najib Razak will tomorrow begin his first visit to Sibu since the start of the campaign period to work his charm on Chinese Malaysian voters ahead of this weekend’s key by-election here.

The community backed the DAP in Election 2008 while Sarawak Barisan Nasional’s (BN) SUPP lost six state seats in state polls held two years earlier.

The prime minister will join a Chinese cultural procession tomorrow evening organised by a temple here.

Najib is set to be the first prime minister to take part in such a procession which is held in honour of Tua Pek Kong, one of the major Chinese deities worshipped in Malaysia.

Roads around the seven-storey Sibu Tua Pek Kong temple, which is one of the town’s major landmarks, have been repaved in preparation for the prime minister’s visit.

DAP leader Lim Kit Siang will also be attending the procession. His party’s candidate, representing Pakatan Rakyat (PR), is facing off with BN’s SUPP man.

“It is a great day for Sibu. I will be glad to participate as well,” said Lim.

He expressed hope that Najib would continue the practice of engaging non-Malay voters outside the election season.

“Don’t just do it when there is a by-election. He must do it all the time,” said Lim.

Some 20,000 devotees from across the country are expected to take part in the procession, which is held every three years.


The Sibu Tua Pek Kong temple, which is one of the town’s major landmarks. – Picture by Jack Ooi
The Tua Pek Kong Festival is one of the major events in Sarawak’s tourism calendar and the celebration will last four days, starting today.
“The event has been planned for the last six months. Since PM is here on the 12th of May, upon the invitation from the temple, so he said he will drop by,” said Sibu SUPP publicity chief Daniel Ngieng.

Early this year, Najib made history by becoming the first prime minister in 30 years to visit the Batu Caves temple near Kuala Lumpur on the eve of Thaipusam celebrations.

Since taking over the government over a year ago Najib has been promoting his 1 Malaysia concept in an attempt to win the support of the non-Malays.

“We can only say it is a good thing,” Ngieng said when asked if Najib’s participation in the procession would boost Chinese support for the ruling coalition.

In Election 2008, the late Datuk Robert Lau Hoi Chew retained the seat for BN with the help of Malay/Melanau and Iban voters who form about 33 per cent of the 54,695 voters.

Hoi Chew’s cousin Robert Lau Hui Yew is now contesting against the DAP’s Wong Ho Leng and independent Narawi Haron.

BN’s popularity among Chinese voters nationwide has not improved since Election 2008, which saw the coalition losing most of the urban constituencies dominated by the community.

In last month’s Hulu Selangor by-election, fewer than 30 per cent of Chinese voters supported BN despite Najib’s last-minute financial pledges to Chinese schools and associations. -TMI