Despite PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar urging opposition parties to set aside their differences for the forthcoming Sarawak state election, it seems that multi-cornered fights are expected to be the norm.

Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian has announced the candidates for 30 Sarawak state seats, while 15 more names are expected to be announced by the party later.

The 30 seats are Opar, Tasik Biru, Tupong, Batu Lintang, Batu Kitang, Serembu, Triboh, Simunjan, Lingga, Saribas, Layar, Simanggang, Bukit Saban, Kalaka, Krian, Meluan, Ngemah, Machan, Nangka, Tamin, Kakus, Murum, Jepak, Bekenu, Lambir, Senadin, Marudi, Telang Usan, Mulu and Ba’Kelalan.

Incumbents See Chee How, Ali Biju and Baru Bian for the seats of Batu Lintang, Krian and Ba’kelalan respectively were retained by PKR.

The question is that although PKR’s ally PAS said it will try to avoid clashes with PKR, a list announced by Sarawak PAS commissioner Jofri Jaraiee last year may prove otherwise.

Jofri ( photo ) was reported as saying that the Islamist party aims to contest in these state seats, namely Beting Maro, Sebuyau, Sadong Jaya, Muara Tuang, Samariang, Pantai Damai, Jepak, Samalaju, Lambir, Senadin, Batu Kawa and Dudong.

That means PAS and PKR will witness three-cornered fights involving the seats of Jepak, Lambir and Senadin, for which PKR has already its own candidates - Abdul Jalil Bujang, Mohdar Ismail and Steve Teo Jia Jun respectively.

PKR, which is expected to field 45 candidates, contested 49 seats in the 2011 state election. It only saw three victories.

PAS, on the other hand, contested five seats but did not win any of them.

PAS’ rival, splinter party Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah), is also expected to field candidates in 11 seats for the coming Sarawak election.

The Borneo Post last December quoted Amanah’s Sarawak election director Mohamad Jolhi as naming Pantai Damai, Satok, Samariang, Tupong, Demak Laut, Batu Kitang, Muara Tuang, Kabong, Beting Maro, Senadin and Samalaju as the 11 seats.

Should Amanah insist on going to into the state election with this list, the seat of Senadin will see a four-cornered fight involving PKR, PAS, Amanah and one of the BN parties.

However, since PKR has already announced its candidate – Steve Teo Jia Jun – Amanah is expected to relent in this case.

Apart from Senadin, PAS and Amanah will likely face each other (as well as another BN party), in the contest for the seats of Beting Maro, Samariang, Pantai Damai and Samalaju.

DAP, on the other hand, has announced three possible candidates for the Padungan, Pending, Kota Sentosa, Batu Kitang and Batu Kawa state seats.

PBB eyeing 40 seats

State DAP chairperson and Kota Sentosa incumbent Chong Chieng Jen was quoted by The Borneo Post as saying that incumbents Wong King Wei, Violet Yong Wui Wui and Christina Chiew Wang See will defend the Padungan, Pending and Batu Kawa seats respectively due to their good track records.

However, the party has yet to announce who will contest the Kota Sentosa and Batu Kitang seats.

According to sources who spoke to ​Malaysiakini , DAP newcomer Abdul Aziz Isa ( photo ) will most probably be contesting in the new seat of Batu Kitang.

As such, PKR and DAP would face some problems as PKR has already named its candidate – Voon Shiak Ni – for the Batu Kitang state seat.

Amanah, according to Jolhi’s list, has also picked Batu Kitang as a seat it is planning to contest.

Despite the well-known animosity between PAS and DAP, PAS is expected to face DAP head-on in only one seat – Batu Kawa - where DAP’s Christina Chiew is the incumbent.

Also, it should be noted that Chong’s recent announcement was only for five seats the DAP is planning to contest.

The DAP is expected to announce at least another 20 other seats it plans to contest.

Although the party contested only 15 seats in the last state election, its performance was commendable as it captured 12 seats of these seats.

As for BN, it is still too early to tell whether the ruling coalition will face multi-cornerned fights or otherwise.

Although Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) president Adenan Satem has announced that the party will contest 40 seats in the state election, he has yet to indicate which seats these are.

Political pundits quoted by The Malaysian Inside r believe they will be Malay-Melanau majority seats or seats carved out from PBB-held parliamentary seats.

State constituencies in Sarawak were increased by 11 to 82 following a re-delineation exercise last year.

The Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP), on the other hand, wants to field candidates in 10 state seats.

The Malay Mail Online quoted SPDP senior vice-president Paul Igai as saying the party will re-contest the eight seats it contested in the last state election.

These are Tasik Biru, Krian, Pakan, Meluan, Bekenu, Ba’Kelalan, Batu Danau and Marudi.

Parti Tenaga Rakyat (Teras) president William Mawan Ikom said he is confident that he, together with four other incumbents, will defend their respective seats they had won under the SPDP ticket in the last election.