SIBU: Barisan Nasional is set to put up more than 15 new faces for the Sarawak election, according to party insiders.
Pehin Seri Abdul Taib Mahmud, who is the State BN chairman, will announce the list tomorrow.
The sources said that more than 10 of them are expected to come from Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu, which has been allocated 35 of the 71 state seats.
The Sarawak United People’s Party is expected to enlist new faces for five of their 19 seats while Parti Rakyat Sarawak is expected to have at least one newcomer among its nine candidates.
The Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party is expected to have only one first-timer among its eight contestants.
In the last 2006 elections, BN lined up 18 new faces.
Several incumbents in PBB have stated their decision to give way to new faces. They include former Assistant Minister for Tourism Datuk Hamden Ahmad (Belawai), Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office Datuk Bolhassan Di (Beting Maro) and six-term Sadong Jaya assemblyman Datuk Wan Abdul Wahab Wan Sanusi.
Among the others are four-term Demak Laut incumbent and Assistant Industrial
Development Minister Datuk Dr Abang Abdul Rauf Abang Zen, former Assistant Rural
Development Minister Datuk Ambrose Belikau Enturan (Katibas) and Dr Wahbi
Junaidi (Saribas).
Six-term Kedup assemblyman Frederick Bayoi Manggie, Lihan Jok, who has served Telang Usan for two terms, and one-term Lingga assemblywoman Simoi Peroi have also said they will not contest.
Incumbents who will not be re-nominated are Datuk Awang Bemee Awang Ali Bassah of Nangka and Datuk Aidan Wing of Lambir, both of whom had served three terms.
Awang Bemee is expected to be replaced by Sibu-born cardiac surgeon Dr Annuar Rapaee who is with Serdang Hospital, while Aidan may be replaced by Ripin Lawat, who is a political secretary of the Chief Minister.
PBB is said to have lined up new candidates with professional backgrounds, like Kedup branch information chief and lawyer Bernard Phillip, who is son of a former minister Michael Ben.
It is still uncertain whether Sarawak State Assembly speaker who is also State Assemblyman for Semop Datuk Seri Mohd Asfia Awang will contest although the talk is that he will be replaced.
Should he be dropped, the seat may be contested by businessman Dollah Saidol or Universiti Darul Iman Terengganu lecturer Mohammad Hailmi Sajili.
Telang Usan PBB Youth chief Dennis Ngau and the Chief Minister’s political secretary, Robert Laing Anyie, are said to be in the running for the Telang Usan seat while the Chief Minister’s former political secretary, Robertson Mawa, is tipped to be the candidate for Katibas, replacing Datuk Ambrose Blikau.
Sarawak Mufti Kipli Yassin and Sarawak Forestry Corporation managing director and chief executive Officer Datuk Len Talif Salleh are being considered for Belawai.
The Lingga seat may be contested by a political secretary of the Chief Minister, Lt Col (Rtd) Awangku Jamuddin Pangiran Kon.
There are five potential candidates for Beting Maro. They include director of Malaysian Fisheries Development Authorities Razali Ghapor.
There is a big possibility that Sarawak Common Facilities managing director Abang Jemat Abang Bujang, will carry the flag for PBB in Saribas while PBB Demak Jaya deputy chief Dr Hazlan Hipni is expected to be the new flag bearer for PBB in Demak Laut.
As for SUPP, the five new faces are cardiologist Dr Sim Kui Hian for Pending, Youth chief Sih Hua Tong for Batu Lintang, Sim Kiang Chiok for Padungan, Chieng Buong Toon for Bukit Assek and Hendry Ling for Kidurong.
The PRS debutant is Stanley Unja for Pelagus.
Pelagus incumbent Larry Sng, who is Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office, was sacked from PRS. – Bernama