2010/11/23
By Lian Cheng
news@nst.com.my
KUCHING: The coming state election may see the most number of new faces within the Sarawak Barisan Nasional in its history.
In the past, it has been the practice of BN to maintain the incumbents to ensure political stability - the fewer changes made, the less risk would be at stake.
However, since the last state election in 2006, the general public's mentality seems to have shifted to opt for new blood and younger state representatives, especially after the op position made it a point to recruit young professionals with no historical baggage or even political background to stand as their candidates.
While BN had little time to react to this change in the last state election, this time around, however, one can expect to see BN putting forth new faces to replace some of the incumbents, especially those who did not secure impressive majorities in the last state elections.
Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), for instance, did not wait for the coming election to make known its intention to replace some of the incumbents.
As early as November 2008, its president Tan Sri Taib Mahmud replaced three PBB assistant ministers when reshuffling his Cabinet - Datuk Bolhassan Di (Assistant Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communica tion), Datuk Hamden Ahmad (Assistant Minister of Youth as well as Tourism) and Datuk Ambrose Blikau (Assistant Minister of Rural Development as well as Public Utilities).
With growing rumours that a state election would take place March 26 (which coincides with Taib's 30th an niversary as Chief Minister) next year, there are predictions that more than a handful of PBB incumbents would be dropped after Taib's declaration of 30 per cent new faces.
PBB was allocated 35 out of the 71 state seats in the last elections and 30 per cent new faces would mean 10 new candidates, which was also confirmed by party insiders.
Those on top of the list speculated to be dropped are the three dropped assistant minsiters Bolhassan (Beting Maro), Hamden (Belawai) and Blikau (Katibas).
Others included Dr Wahbi Junaidi (Saribas; 94-vote ma jority), Simoi Peri (Lingga; 1870-vote majority), Gramong Juna (Machan; 2,289-vote majority), Frederick Bayoi (Kedup; 1981-vote majority) and Wan Wahap (Sadong Jaya, 858-vote majority).
Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP), meanwhile, has been going on its rounds to solve issues, reaching out to young voters and recruiting thousands of them. SUPP has also produced dramas to rekindle among the veteran party members their initial love and sacrifice for the party.
These efforts were taken note of by the Chinese, but initial grassroots feedback seems to indicate no significant impact as yet on Chinese voters.
"Every day, we make it a point to spend time with our voters. We are experiencing a total transformation especially with regards to our candidates," said its president Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam.
SUPP plans to put forth at least 30 per cent new faces and no "recycled candidates". These changes are expected in all the areas it had lost ground previously, such as Padungan, Pending, Batu Lintang, Kidurong, Merandong and Bukit Assek. SUPP has 19 allocated constituencies.
Only one recycled candidate would be expected, namely Datuk Alfred Yap, contesting in Kota Sentosa which he lost by 531 votes to Sarawak DAP secretary general Chong Chieng Jen.
For Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) which has been allocated nine seats, its president Datuk Seri Dr James Masing has stated that there would be at least two new faces, speculated to be at Ngemah and Pelagus.
Ngemah was lost to Gabriel Adit, a former BN member who is now Parti Cinta Malaysia Sarawak state chief.
Pelagus, a seat of dispute due to Larry Sng's expulsion from the party after challenging Masing's presidency, remains a problem that BN needs to solve before the state elections is called.
To Masing, the Pelagus seat is non-negotiable.
Sng, who has been a partyless assistant minister over the last three years, would have to be absorbed by other component parties and contest in another constituency besides Pelagus if he wished to stand under the BN banner.
Speculation is that he would either stand in Meradong, the birthplace of his tycoon father-in-law Tan Sri Ting Phek Kiing, if he is to be absorbed by SUPP; or Meluan, replacing Wong Judat, should he be accepted by Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP).
Holding eight seats, SPDP's president Datuk Seri William has said that he would retain all the incumbents.
However, it has been reported that the four state as semblymen within "the disgruntled five" namely Datuk Peter Nansian (Tasik Biru), Rosey Yunus (Bekenu), Sylvester Entri (Marudi) and Paulus Palu Gumbang (Batu Danau) would be replaced with new faces.
"The disgruntled five", which also includes Mas Gading Member of Parliament Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe, was given the nickname when they teamed up to call on party president Mawan to resign.
They claimed that Mawan, who is also the State Minister of Social Development and Urbanisation, was influenced by an invisible hand when he did not re-appoint Entri as the party secretary-general.
The five walked out from a SPDP supreme council meeting when Mawan replaced Entri.
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