Sarawak Barisan Nasional yesterday announced its list of candidates, offering 17 new faces 10 from Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu, six from Sarawak United People’s Party and one from Parti Rakyat Sarawak.
With this announcement, and two days before nomination, six constituencies appear set for multicornered contests. BN named candidates for 70 of the 71 seats. The candidate for Ba’ Kelalan has yet to be named, prompting speculation that the person will be the 18th new face to be introduced for the April 16 election.
The 17 new faces are for these constituencies: Demak Laut, Padungan, Pending, Batu Lintang, Kedup, Sadong Jaya, Beting Maro, Saribas, Belawai, Semop, Meradong, Bukit Assek, Nangka, Pelagus, Kidurong, Lambir and Telang Usan. The Ba’ Kelalan seat is allocated to the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party.
The announcement was made at the PBB headquarters by its information chief Tan Sri Adenan Satim.
Waiting pressmen had anticipated PBB president and state BN chief Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, who is also chief minister, to make the announcement after arriving to meet candidates at 4pm.
When asked if the list of candidates that was announced was the one submitted to BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Adenan, who is also adviser to the chief minister, said it was, adding: “Our list was approved unanimously by Sarawak BN. The BN chairman has also given his blessings. We have listed the best candidates who will be able to serve the voters.” Asked on the Ba’ Kelalan candidate, Adenan said: “We have many names on the list and we have no problem in picking the right candidate who will be announced in a day or two.
“It does not matter what the opposition s ay s about our delay in announcing the Ba’ Kelalan candid at e . ” Earlier, PBB deputy president Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, who represented Taib, said it was confident about the e l e c t i o n s.
“We are also confident that voter s who have supported us will continue to do so in the election.” PRS president Datuk Seri Dr James Masing said he was confident of winning all nine seats the party was contesting.
“We have never lost Pelagus even though I expect outside interference. “I expect Larry Sng (who was dropped) to campaign for BN candidate in Pelagus to prove his loyalty to BN.” Two former candidates who lost in the 2006 election —Datuk Alfred Yap (Kota Sentosa) and Alexander Vincent (Ngemah) of Sarawak United Pe o p l e ’s Party — will try to regain a place in the state assembly come April 16.
SUPP president Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam, commenting on his par ty’s chances, said he believed SUPP could win back some of the seats it lost in the 2006 state election.
SUPP lost eight of the 19 seats in contested.
Senior party leaders like Taib will be defending his Balingian seat, Dr Chan (Piasau), Dr Masing (Baleh), SPDP president Datuk Seri William Mawan (Pakan), Jabu (Layar), PBB deputy president Datuk Amar Abang Johari Openg (Satok) and PBB senior vice-president Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan (Bukit Sari).
Taib, 74, won his first state seat uncontested in the Sebandi by-election in March, 1981. He was Sebandi assemblyman, now known as Asajaya, before moving to Balingian in the 2001 state election and defending it in 2006.
Dr Chan, 74, who is also state deputy chief minister, will defend Pi - asau for his seventh term. He first won the seat in 1983 (then known as Miri) uncontested. Dr Masing will also seek his seventh term since first winning in Baleh in 1983, while Mawan will defend Pakan for the sixth time since 1983.
Among the new faces, who comprise youth leaders, doctors and professionals, are Dr Hazland Hipni (Demak Laut), Prof Dr Sim Kui Hian (Pending), Sih Hua Tong (Batu Lintang), Martin Ben Michael (Kedup), Aidil Lariwoo (Sadong Jaya), Razaili Gapor (Beting Maro), Mohammad Razi Sitam (Saribas), Datuk Len Talif (Belawai), Abdullah Saidol (Semop), Ling Lie King (Meradong), Chieng Puong Toon (Bukit Assek), Dr Anuar Rapiee (Nangka), Stanley Unja (Pelagus), Henry Ling (Kidurong), Ripin Lamat (Lambir), Dennis Ngau (Telang Usan) and Sim Kiang Chiong ( Pa d u n g a n ) .
Prominent assemblymen not seeking re-election include Datuk Seri Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar (Semop), Datuk Hamden Ahmad (Belawai), Datuk Awang Bemee Awang Ali Basah (Nangka) and two assistant ministers Larry Sng (Pelagus) and Dr Soon Chong Teck (Dudong).
All the four BN assemblywomen will defend their seats: Sharifah Hasidah Syed Aman Ghazali (Semariang), Simoi Peri (Lingga), Datin Fatimah Abdullah (Daro) and Rosey Yunus (Bekenu).
PBB will contest 35 seats, SUPP (19), PRS (nine) and SPDP (eight). just like the seat allocation in the 2006 state election.
DAP announced its 15 candidates, the Sarawak National Party (27) while Pas, which is expected to contest in five constituencies, is expected to announce its candidates in a day or t wo.
Parti Keadilan Rakyat will name its candidates today, although the number of seats that it is contesting has not been announced.
