Bintulu incumbent member of Parliament Tiong King Sing is very much a ‘misunderstood’ personality.

His record as a politician is not something which will endear him to many people but, rightly or wrongly, they have a lasting impression on the people of Sarawak.

Out of nowhere, a young businessman emerged to contest the Bintulu parliamentary seat on a BN-Snap ticket in 1999. He managed to beat the popular DAP incumbent Chiew Chin Sing by a slim majority.

Chiew had, in 1995, defeated the then Snap president James Wong Kim Min and Tiong immediately created a name for himself. Where his party president had failed, Tiong managed to win back Bintulu, a prize scalp, for Snap. Tiong was then only in his early 30's.

tiong king sing In 2003, the young Bintulu MP was blamed for the leadership crisis in Snap. This led to the formation of the splinter Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) and the subsequent de-registration of Snap. (Snap is still fighting a court battle to save its ‘life’ today.)

Last year, Tiong created another uproar, this time in Sibu, when he alleged that gangsters were creating havoc in the town including controlling the prices of essential commodities. He also claimed that many businessmen were behind these gangsters and that police in Sibu had turned a blind eye to such misdemeanours as many officers were on the take.

Many did not understand Tiong’s actions. For one, he was the MP of Bintulu and Sibu was not under his jurisdiction. Secondly, he was also a timber tycoon and pointing an accusing finger at others in the same business line was not very ethical, to say the least.

However, Tiong’s statement about a corrupt police force in Sibu caused Bukit Aman to swing into action. Known underworld kingpins were rounded up and many were banished.

MP taken seriously

Soon, many applauded the action of the Bintulu MP. For once at least the police took the words of a Sarawak MP seriously. Tiong King Sing earned his first stripe and it has turned into a very rewarding one for him.

In the run-up to the 12 th general election, Snap deputy president Ting Ling Kiew (a former MP for Bintulu himself) said the party was prepared to let Tiong have a ‘free ride’ this time as he has performed well as an MP. He announced that Snap would not be fielding a candidate against Tiong.

dap sarawak chiew Recognition for Tiong’s good performance also came in a quiet manner from DAP.

Bintulu DAP strongman and state assemblyperson for Tanjung Kidurong Chiew Chin Sing has also opted out of the contest against Tiong.

DAP, however, is fielding a political novice, Lim Su Kien, in Bintulu this time. At best, it’s a token opposition against Tiong.

By all accounts, it looks smooth-sailing for Tiong in Bintulu come March 8.

The once ‘misunderstood’ MP, it appears, has now become a popular and acceptable candidate on both sides of the political divide...in Bintulu, at least