SIBU: Sarikei MP Ding Kuong Hiing said the relevant parties were in the process of negotiating with MCA over the building of Tunku Abdul Rahman (TAR) College in Bintangor now.

CONFIDENT AND RELIEVED: Following the dismissal of the petition, Ding can now concentrate on fully serving his constituency.

Speaking to reporters outside the court here yesterday, Ding said with the dismissal of an election petition against him, “doubt is now cleared, and the development project for the benefit of the people in central Sarawak will move faster”.

Asked on the possibility that the MCA would say no to the college project, Ding was confident that it would not happen because the MCA had agreed in principle to implement the project in Bintangor.

“A 200-acre site has been allocated, and what we are ironing out with the MCA now are the minute details in the planning,” he said.

Walking out of the court with a beaming smile yesterday, Ding told reporters that the proposed RM40-million TAR College would go on.

“This is a very good project with much public interest. We hope it will help bring development to the town.”

Ding said Bintangor had been a backward town and he believed the project would breathe new life into its economy.

However, he said, the project would not be completed this year.

“Therefore, temporary classes will be opened next year for the first batch of students.”

He said students in Sarawak, particularly those in central Sarawak, would greatly benefit from the project as the college would be built on their doorstep, thus helping them to cut the cost of higher education.

Regarding the dismissal of the election petition by the High Court, Ding said, “Justice is served.”

He said now he could go on serving the people in Sarikei constituency.

SUPP Sarikei chairman, Datuk David Teng, when met by reporters outside the court, praised Ding for his calmness during the petition proceedings.

Being new in politics, the trial had accelerated Ding’s maturity as a politician, he said.

“Now he can concentrate on serving the people. I have confidence in his commitment.”

Teng, who is also Assistant Minister of Local Government said both he and Ding had suffered much stress due to the petition.

“We are relieved now and can fully get into what we need to do for the people.” He said the trial had given birth to a new leader in SUPP and he was happy for him.

He agreed that leadership grooming in their party had been slow and there was a need to groom more leaders now.

“Not only has Ding benefitted from this trial; I see people in Bintangor becoming more united after the trial. It is the same with the people in Sarikei.”

He called for unity among party members and the people in the constituency to work together on community building.