Sibu polls: Victory in the hands of Foochows
“You don’t monkey around with the people here and the DAP knows this. At the end of the day, its going to be the bookies and the odds offered that will determine the winner,” said the insider.
By Stephanie Sta Maria and Free Malaysia Today Team
Simmering beneath the placid Sibu facade is a tale of coded streets, smoke-filled backrooms, blood pacts, bookies and trade-deals.
In what is seen as a subtle below the line battle for the Sibu parliamentary seat which fell vacant on April 9 following the demise of its MP and deputy transport minister Robert Lau Hoi Chew, the inside word is that even before nominations this Saturday (May 8) , the deal would have been sealed.
And if the word on-the-street is anything to go by, it will be Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) candidate Robert Lau Hui Yew (better known as Robert Lau Junior) who will be walking in his uncle’s shoes.
A Sibu city councillor and lawyer, the fresh faced 44-year-old heir apparent to Sibu’s political dynasty is of a milder demeanour than his uncle, who is believed to have held a tight reign over the workings of both, the boardroom and underworld, in this logging county.
But younger Robert’s youthful disposition and people-friendly disposition is expected to cut across Sibu’s 54,695 voters who comprise of 67 percent Chinese, 22 percent Ibans, 10 percent Malays and the remainer others.
The Lau clan have an extensive known commercial reach with deals in timber, log exports, plywood manufacturing, oil palm plantations and shipping.
According to political analyst James Chin, Sibu is Foochow county and timber tycoons like the Lau’s rule.
A snap of the finger could raise the dust and fielding a young face like Robert Lau Junior is a plus point, said Chin, a professor at Monash University.
“The Foochows,” he said are “parochial and only care about local issues.”
“The Sibu by-election is very different from the Hulu Selangor by-election because it is dominated by the Foochows.
“They are very parochial and only care about localised issues. This is a fight between the Foochows,” he told FMT.
