MIRI: There were upsets and reversal of fortunes in northern Sarawak as the three urban seats here kept the electorate glued to their smartphones or television sets for the results.
Bumiputera voters make up 40 per cent of the 21,163 voters in Piasau, 32 per cent in Pujut(26,244) and 55 per cent in Senadin (27,913) making them the kingmakers of the three seats.
DAP Sarawak was left licking its wounds after losing two of the seats they contested in as its secretary Alan Ling Sie Kiong and Lun Bawang dentist Dr Bob Baru Langub were defeated in Piasau and Senadin respectively by a resurgent SUPP.
The seat where the biggest upset took place was Pujut where Dato Hii King Chiong was named in the 11th hour as the BN direct candidate in this most challenging seat with 26,202 voters.
Trailing his DAP rival Dr Ting Tiong Choon in the early stages, observers were wondering whether an upset was on the card as Hii ran the most well-oiled election machinery in Miri, with plenty of volunteers who flooded the city with banners, flags, posters and eye-catching billboards.
In the end Dr Ting polled 8,899 against Hii’s 7,140 to win by 1,759 votes while PAS Sarawak Commissioner Jofri Jaraiee who managed to get only 513 votes lost his election deposit together with former Pujut DAP state assemblyman Fong Pau Teck who fared badly as an independent garnering a miserable 375 votes .
SUPP Secretary-General Datuk Sebastian Ting Chew Yew exacted sweet revenge for his party by defeating DAP’s secretary Alan Ling Sie Kiong who beat SUPP president and deputy chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Dr George Chan Hong Nam in 2011.
Ting polled 7,799 votes against Alan’s 5,687 for a 2,112-vote majority.
In Senadin, incumbent Datuk Lee Kim Shin of SUPP was returned with a 3,538 votes majority as he beat DAP’s Dr Bob Baru Langub (7,145 votes) and political unknown Philemon John Eda PBDS Baru who lost his deposit after securing only 329 votes.
Dr Bob, a Lun Bawang dentist made a strong run in this mixed constituency of 27,874 voters but Lee’s convincing win put to rest the issue of his razor-thin 58-votes majority in 2011 against PKR’s Dr Micheal Teo Yu Kheng.
Up in the highland , PKR state chairman Baru Bian retained his Ba kelalan seat by beating Willie Liau of SPDP in their second face-off, winning with a slightly bigger majority of 538 votes after polling 2,858 votes against Willie’s 2,320.
Baru won with 373 votes majority in 2011 against the same opponent, and this second defeat has likely spelt the end of Willie’s political career.
In the new seat of Mulu Dato Gerawat Gala won with a majority of 1,708 votes against Pauls Raja of PKR who garnered 309 votes , independent candidate and former SPDP senior vice-president Dr Roland Dom Mattu who could only managed to win 239 votes and Paul Baya of DAP who secured a surprising 1490 votes
The state’s first Penan woman candidate Elia Bit of PKR turned on a surprisingly strong fight against BN candidate and former Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Local Government Dato Dr Penguang Manggil in the deeply divided Marudi electorate arising from the acrimonious BN candidacy race.
Penguang overcame the significant protest votes from the supporters of former state assemblyman Datuk Sylvester Entri Muran after an acrimonious battle for BN candidacy.
This angered Entri’s supporters and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had to step in by flying in the former state assemblyman to Marudi for a public show of support for Penguang in the final day of campaign.
After looking likely to cause an upset Elia finally lost the battle garnering 4,106 votes against the 5,493 secured by Penguang.
A third candidate in the fray Louis Jalong who contested as an independent lost his deposit after winning only 56 votes.
In the outskirts, direct candidate Rosey Yunus who has been promised an Assistant Minister post if she was re-elected coasted to an easy victory against Bill Kayong (PKR) and former SPDP member Peter Jelin who stood as independent candidates.
She won with an impressive 4,789 votes, polling 6,009 votes and leading in all the 25 polling stations, leaving behind Bill (1,220), Austin (589) and Jelin (565).
Next door in Lambir where PKR and PAS clashed incumbent state assemblyman Ripin Lamat retained his seat with a thumping majority of over 4,000 votes in a four-cornered fight against Mohammad Arifiriazul Paijo(PAS), and Mohdak Ismail (PKR).
Telang Usan which was regarded as a black seat for BN before the election saw incumbent Dennis Ngau narrowly beating Roland Engan of PKR by just 167 votes .
Dennis and Roland polled 3,231 and 3,064 votes respectively in the straight fight.
It was Roland’s second near miss in the area as he also lost narrowly in the last General Election against Baram MP Anyi Ngau.
In Batu Danau, BN direct candidate Paulus Palu Gumbang beat former PRS Batu Danau chairman Ali Adap who stood as independent. Paulus polled 4,366 votes, increasing his winning majority of 1,262 in 2011 to 2,939. Ali garnered 1,427 votes.
BN had already won two seats uncontested in northern Sarawak on nomination day- PBB senior vice-president Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan (Bukit Sari) and PBB supreme council member Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail (Bukit Kota).