PBB will field at least two new faces in the 14th general election (GE14), while SUPP is expected to field six.

The two PBB MPs who will not be defending their seats are Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas for Betong and Deputy Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water Datuk Seri Dr James Dawos for Puncak Borneo (formerly known as Mambong).

Uggah was called back by PBB to replace former Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr Alfred Jabu Numpang. He contested and won Bukit Saban in the state election on May 7 this year. Upon his victory, Uggah was subsequently appointed deputy chief minister.

With Uggah leaving the federal arena, it is speculated that former Bukit Saban assemblyman Robert Lawson Chuat, who gave way to Uggah, could be fielded in Betong in the next parliamentary polls.

For four-term MP Dawos, he needs to give way due to health reasons. In this regard, it is rumoured that his protégé and prominent lawyer Datu Detta Samen will be PBB’s pick for Puncak Borneo.

According to political observer Associate Prof Jeniri Amir of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), Mukah MP Datuk Seri Dr Muhammad Leo Michael Toyad Abdullah may not be renominated as he had helmed that seat since 1982.

“Many believe he (Leo Toyad) has reached his political pinnacle after having been appointed Tourism Minister before he was dropped from the federal cabinet in 2006,” said Jeniri.

However, he stressed that should PBB field Dr Toyad again, the eight-term parliamentarian would still be able to win because of the ‘PBB factor’.

Another factor that could affect the parliamentary candidacy for Mukah is religion. The Melanau community—about half of them Muslims and the rest Christians—has a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ that provides for equal share of seats.

With the state seats of Dalat and Balingian being under Muslim elected representatives – Datuk Fatimah Abdullah and Abdul Yakub Arbi respectively – and Tellian under Christian assemblyman Yussibnosh Balo, possibility is high Mukah will be filled by a Christian, opined Jeniri.

On speculations about Sibuti MP Ahmad Lai Bujang being dropped for GE14, Jeniri said the incumbent had been doing well and would likely be retained.

In a chat via WhatsApp, PBB secretary-general Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi said, “There has yet to be discussions among PBB leaders on the candidacy for the coming general election.”

Dr Rundi said such matters were the prerogative of PBB president and Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem.

For PRS, there had been talks about a new face in GE14 as its president and Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing had been quoted as saying he had long wanted to field a woman candidate–possibly Dato Sri Doris Sophia

Brodie.

Apart from PBB, other state BN component parties, namely PRS, SPDP and SUPP, do not have female elected representatives in the State Legislative Assembly and Parliament now.

Doris hails from Sri Aman, and should Masing insisted on fielding her, it would have to be Sri Aman, which is currently represented by Deputy Home Affairs Minister Masir Kujat.

Another possibility is putting Doris in Lubok Antu, now held by Datuk William Nyallau Badak.

The strategy could be that Masing might want to keep Masir as the latter is already a deputy minister. Should this occur, Nyallau might be the ‘sacrificial lamb’.

However, it is said that a number of PRS leaders do not share the same vision with Masing.

According to inside sources, due to the limited number of seats and the will to see more women representations through PRS, Doris was given the chance to be senator for two terms: she was even elevated to become Deputy Speaker at the Upper House during that tenure.

Immediately after the end of her senatorship, Doris was appointed a political secretary to the chief minister.

“In the eyes of many leaders within the party (PRS), she (Doris) should have had enough. Many of them have yet to be identified with major appointments (like she has),” the sources said.

Another BN component party, SPDP, is likely to retain all its MPs, except for Saratok.

The other three are those for Mas Gading, Julau and Bintulu.

Saratok is presently held by former Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (Teras) president Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom, who is also Pakan assemblyman. Speculations are rife that should Mawan re-join SPDP–a party he formed after the demise of Sarawak national Party (SNAP)– he is likely to be fielded again.

However, if Mawan failed to return to SPDP, there would definitely be a new face for Saratok in GE14.

On SPDP president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, who holds the Chinese-majority parliamentary seat of Bintulu, Jeniri believed he would have no problem in defending it, despite high anti-government sentiments among Chinese voters.

“His (Tiong’s) case is exceptional because he is a person (who is always) on the ground and has been servicing the longhouses well. The Dayak votes plus some Chinese ones are the reason why he had been winning in previous elections,” said Jeniri.

In the case of SUPP, its president Professor Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian said Bandar Kuching, Stampin, Serian, Sarikei, Lanang, Sibu and Miri had always been traditionally allocated to the party.

On many occasions, he reiterated that SUPP would field all new faces for GE14, except for Serian, where incumbent Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot would defend the seat.

Regardless of SUPP’s claim, United People’s Party (UPP), which is strong in the state’s central region, would most likely fight to field candidates in Sibu and Lanang, at least.

This was reflected by UPP secretary-general George Lo’s reaction to Dr Sim’s statement.

Lo said SUPP could lay their claim as much as they want, but in the end, Lo believed the state election scenario would replay itself in GE14–one where UPP candidates would be identified by the state BN instead of those from SUPP.

Rumours of a snap parliamentary election have been rife since Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is also Umno president, announced during this year’s Umno general assembly that GE14 could be held soon.

Speculations so far have pointed to April or May next year as the earliest dates, or October at the latest, so that the opposition would not have enough time to organise and consolidate themselves for the polls.

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by The Borneo Post

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