Jau Jok @ Jenggo
MIRI (Dec 3): Telang Usan will see a “family match” between Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) incumbent Dennis Ngau and his close relative, Jau Jok @ Jenggo, after Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) confirmed Jau as its candidate for seat on Thursday.
Jau, 63, is a retired educationist whose wife is Dennis’s first cousin told The Borneo Post yesterday that he had received his credentials on Thursday.
“Yes, I have received my credentials on Thursday, which means I will be going up against Dennis in Telang Usan,” he said.
Jau, who lives just two doors away from Dennis in their village in Long Bedian, Baram, said he was prepared to face anyone, including Dennis, in the 12th State Election on Dec 18.
He pointed out that in the past 37 years, he is no stranger to the people of Baram, whom he had served not just as a teacher but also headmaster, principal and assistant education officer in the area before retiring in 2018.
“My 37 years in the education field has given me the opportunity to meet people from all over Baram, therefore I am not a stranger to them.
“As far as my political groundwork is concerned, I have been moving around the constituency since 2019,” he said.
Jau said that he is unfazed by having to face Dennis, an experienced politician who has been a representative for the constituency for two terms.
“If I were given the chance to become an elected people’s representative, and provided that PSB will be able to form the next state government, I will ensure that the infrastructure including roads, electricity and water will be completed in five years in Telang Usan,” he said.
He lamented that development in Baram is rather slow, despite GPS having been a member of Barisan Nasional and now aligned with the Perikatan Nasional federal government for the last 58 years.
Jau said that Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) took less than five years to build a tar-sealed road across Kalimantan up until Long Bawan (near Ba Kelalan border in Sarawak), and he was puzzled by the delay in building the same infrastructure in Sarawak.
“Our geographical landscape is not much different than our neighbour in Kalimantan. If Jokowi can build the road in less than five years, why (is it) our Sarawak government can’t complete ours, given that they had already been in power for the last 58 years,” he asked.
Telang Usan is expected to see at least five-cornered fight between GPS, PSB, Parti Keadilan Rakyat, Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) and Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDSB).
While GPS, PSB, PKR and PBK have announced their candidates for the seat, PBDSB will only reveal its candidate today.