Everyone is eyeing the Luyang seat

By Mary Chin

KOTA KINABALU: SAPP's Luyang Assemblywoman Melanie Chia Chui Ket will offer to defend her seat if she is selected again by the party's top brass.

"As the State Assemblywoman for Luyang, I am duty bound to offer myself to be of service lf I am selected by my party.

"Of course, this is an era for young people. We wish to have more young people who can emerge to serve the State. This is what SAPP has been doing all this while. We are nurturing young political workers, who have the potential to lead, to get them ready to serve the people.

"But being the incumbent, I would still offer myself if the party supports my candidacy for this coming general election," she told reporters after a press conference on the Foh Sang Chinese New Year celebration.

Chia, a party vice-president, conceded that this time around, it would be a tough fight for her in Luyang, given its “hot seat" status.

"lt seems everybody is eyeing Luyang, including DAP. It has always been my motto to do my best to serve the people. I know it is not going to be an easy election but I will still try my best to defend my seat.”

Answering a question, Chia said SAPP had formed a seat negotiation committee last year.

"The committee has been there since last year. We have been waiting for the moment to talk to talk but until today, they are not talking. We want to talk but each time... I would say the ball had been in their (DAP's) court.

"We heard they (DAP) want the Luyang seat. If we want to work together, we have to talk, right?" she said.


According to Chia, SAPP's Seat Negotiation Committee had had many sessions of negotiation with Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and not Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

"In Sabah, the situation is different. We can't be talking to Pakatan Rakyat (PR) as a coalition because they are all masing-masing(individually). So we have to talk to the individual member parties, even talking to Pas if we need to.

"The problem of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in Sabah is such that the seats are divided among the three component parties of Pakatan Rakyar (PR). DAP is getting its seats and PKR has its seats allocated and from there, they will negotiate with us (SAPP). We have been talking with PKR," she said.

Asked whether SAPP would discuss the matter with DAP Advisor, Lim Kit Siang, Chia said: "lt's not for me to say. Ask my President (Datuk Yong Teck Lee). Of course, as I said, negotiation is on, the door is always open."

DE