FLASH BACK: A file photo shows Ugak (seated fourth left) with Billy (second right) during the campaign for the run-up of the general election at Uma Long Gang, Belaga in 1990.
KUCHING: Wilson Ugak thanked his party president Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing for giving him the chance to be the new candidate for Hulu Rajang.
Ugak, currently Masing’s private secretary has been tipped to take over from five-term incumbent Datuk Billy Abit Joo in the coming general election.
“I would like to thank my party president Tan Sri Dr James Jamut Masing for giving me the green light to be nominated as the BN candidate for Hulu Rajang in the coming general election.
“I have known him (Masing) over the years as a man of principle. He has taught me a lot about politics since I joined politics in 1987,” Ugak told the Borneo Post at his office at Bangunan Baitulmakmur here yesterday.
He also promised to deliver the goods to the people in the Iban majority area, which comprises the state constituencies of Balleh and Belaga.
Ugak, an elected supreme council member of PRS said he has been the director of operations in past elections for both Billy and Masing.
“I hope Datuk Billy will assist me when the time comes just as I have assisted him in past general elections since 1990,” said Ugak.
Masing meanwhile, reiterated that his party had nominated only six names to the BN top leadership for its six parliamentary seats.
“Thus we have nominated only one candidate per constituency. I don’t want to reveal their names, as that is the prerogative of both the chief minister and prime minister.
“And suffice for me to say that we only one candidate per constituency as we do not want to defer the responsibility to the top BN leadership to choose the right candidates if we have submitted more than one candidate per constituency,” said Masing.
He added that the six nominated names are the strongest and most winnable candidates the party has and he was confident that all of them will deliver for the BN.
With Ugak as the party’s only new nomination, a party insider revealed that the rest of the five seats would most probably be defended by their incumbents.
The current PRS seats are Sri Aman, which would most likely be defended by its incumbent Masir Kujat, Lubok Antu (William Nyallau Badak), Julau (Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum), Kanowit (Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang) and Selangau (Datuk Joseph Entulu).