The opposition Sarawak National Party (Snap) has pulled out from contesting the Ba'Kelalan by-election at the eleventh hour, but will however throw its weight behind Independent candidate, renowned lawyer Baru Bian.

The party's secretary-general Edmund Stanley Jugol told malaysiakini the decision was made during a late evening discussion with Snap president Edwin Dundang, deputy president Justine Jinggut and treasurer general Dennis Chang.

True to Stanley's earlier hint that likened Ba'Kelalan to Meluan, the candidate contesting against the Barisan Nasional contestant is also a former leader of troubled Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS).

In Meluan, PBDS former Entabai Branch chairman, Wong Judat contested against BN's Geman Itam as an independent candidate and won.

Baru, who is from the Lun Bawang ethnic group - which represents the majority in the Ba'Kelalan area - is a former PBDS supreme council members, aligned to Daniel Tajem group.

Later in the day, Stanley, in a three-paragraph statement explaining the party's decision not to contest in the by-election, said it was done "in the best interest of the party" and not to be a spoiler by splitting the votes.

"Our objective is that anyone contesting the SPDP must be given a chance and support to fight a good battle," he added.

Urging its members and supporters to vote for the Independent Baru Bian, Snap said it viewed him as "a most capable candidate who is a professional with an excellent integrity. having very religious background and proved himself the champion of native customary rights land in Sarawak."

Nomination day

Meanwhile, Barisan Nasional will be fielding Sarawak Peoples Democratic Party's Nelson Balang, 48, ( photo ) the former private secretary to the late Dr Judson Tagal.

The seat was vacant following the death of Judson, an assistant minister in the Chief Minister's Office, in a helicopter crash near Bario on July 12.

The BN candidate is expected to be accompanied by a crowd of about 2,000 led by Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak for today's nomination. The by-election will be held next Saturday.

The nominations of three other candidates Frank Samuel Agong, 58, Mohamad @ Budin Brahim, 39, and Wilson Lio, 39, were rejected by Returning Officer Abang Kiprawi Abang Rosli. Judson won the seat uncontested in 2001.

JIMMY TEOH is malaysiakini 's Sarawak-based stringer.