MalaysiaUpdate - KUCHING: Independent candidate and former PKR Sarawak state chief, Dominique Ng, doesn’t count PKR has an enemy despite leaving the party just two days ago.
Ng, who will be defending his Padungan seat in the Sarawak election, said he had received numerous calls and text messages of support from his former party members including PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
“She called me a friend in her text message,” he told journalists in Kuching today. “And yes I am still a friend of PKR. I will never run against it.”
Ng is standing as an independent after being dropped by PKR to contest this time around.
Padungan was the only seat won by PKR, through Ng, in 2006. This time around, it swapped the seat with DAP, getting Batu Lintang in return but without granting Ng another seat to contest.
Ng’s entry into the race has resulted in a three-corner fight with Barisan Nasional’s Sim Kiang Chiok and DAP’s Wong King Wei.
But when asked which opponent would bear the brunt of his strongest fight, he replied: “BN, of course. I want change. And I will not fight anyone from Pakatan Rakyat.”
A smiling Ng said that he was aware that this time he would face a shortage of funds and manpower, and therefore would need all the support he could get from the people of Padungan.
“My fight is for the people,” he said. “I have always stood up for them and I’m still fighting in the hope that they will give me a second chance to continue serving them.”
“I believe in what I am fighting for and I am proud of the work that I have done in that constituency. I may be alone but I believe the people are behind me. I have devoted 28 years to this struggle and I will continue it.”
Ng appeared fairly confident of his chances and pointed out that there were many cases of incumbents winning in Padungan.
“I hope to repeat that feat,” he said. “Also the people of Sarawak and Padungan are very angry over PKR’s actions. They know that it wasn’t by choice that I wasn’t chosen to contest.”
“Politics is a funny thing, Just one week ago I was on a winning streak with (PKR de facto leader) Anwar (Ibrahim) stumping for me. But look what has happened today.”
Name dispute
Earlier an objection over Ng’s nomination papers caused the Padungan candidates to be announced almost an hour after that of Pending and Batu Lintang.
According to Ng, DAP had taken him to task for using his English name on the nomination papers as it differed from the name on his identity card.
“It was a very simple issue,” he said. “I have always used ‘Dominique’ in every election that I have run in. Even when I was contesting under a DAP ticket.”
“It wasn’t a problem then but for some reason it was an issue today. I wanted to use my English name because everyone knows me by that name.”
However, Ng eventually used his Chinese name, Ng Kim Ho, on the nomination papers.
Asked about the hibiscus sticker he was wearing on his shirt, Ng explained that it carried the same symbol as the jasmine flower did for Tunisia.
“I hope this flower will do what the jasmine did for Tunisia and bring change to Sarawak,” he said.
Then he grinned and added, “Plus the Chinese love the symbolism behind this big red flower.”
