Abang Johari (seated centre) seen speaking to reporters during the press conference.
CM still looking through list of possible candidates for Pujut by-election submitted to him
KUCHING: The state Barisan Nasional (BN) is still in the process of finalising its candidate for the Pujut by-election this July 4.
According to Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg, the state BN has received the list containing the names of possible candidates for the by-election.
However, he said the coalition would only decide on and announce its pick for Pujut ‘when the time comes’.
“There is still a lot of time for us to make the decision. What I can reveal (for now) is that the candidate must be a Malaysian citizen,” he told reporters during a press conference held at his Satok Service Centre at Jalan Kulas here yesterday.
Abang Johari, who is Sarawak BN chairman, pointed out that BN will face a tough battle to win the Pujut seat.
“(Still) the way I see it, we have a realistic chance of winning the seat. It is just that we have to work hard,” he said after handing over donations to 13 mosques and suraus across the Satok state constituency, of which Abang Johari is the assemblyman.
In the last state election, BN fielded a direct candidate Datuk Hii King Chiong for Pujut, but he lost to DAP’s Dr Ting Tiong Choon.
Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Pujut branch chairman Adam Yii, however, commented recently that SUPP would have a better chance than other BN component or BN-friendly parties in winning Pujut this time.
Yii’s remarks are believed to be referring to United People’s Party (UPP), although he did not specify any political party. He claimed that ‘the other party’ could not compare with SUPP, in terms of membership and organisation.
Apart from Yii, Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian – also SUPP president – also commented recently that Pujut did not belong to UPP and should UPP wish to stand, the candidate would have to resign from the party; only then would the candidate be given the ticket to contest as a direct BN candidate.
Meanwhile, Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh who is UPP president, recently called upon BN component parties to close rank behind whoever being chosen as BN candidate for the Pujut by-election and at the same time, pledging his party’s support for that BN candidate.
“We have done a lot of ground work, we have managed to solve a lot of issues. We continue to try to resolve problems and challenges faced by the people in Pujut,” he said.
On May 19, Election Commission (EC) chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Hashim Abdullah announced that polling day for the Pujut by-election would be this July 4, with nomination day to be on June 20.
The by-election was called following the disqualification of Dr Ting from the State Legislative Assembly on May 12.
Dr Ting won Pujut with a majority of 1,759 votes during the state election in May last year.
Apart from Hii – who contested as a direct BN candidate at the time, Dr Ting was also challenged by Jofri Jaraiee of PAS and Independent candidate Fong Pau Teck at the state polls.