The Sarawak state elections could be held in August and the 62-member state legislative assembly is expected to be dissolved at the end of next month, said reliable sources today.

All political parties, both Barisan Nasional and Barisan Aletrnatif have long been ready but only Sarawak's Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud has kept everyone guessing.

However, after last week's visit by Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, Taib said he has "gained a little inspiration", indicating that the elections will be coming soon.

Initial talk was that the elections will only be held in September, the same month the previous two state elections were held.

One new factor which has lent credence to the speculation that the elections would be early is the holding of an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) next month by Taib's party, Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) which has 29, the largest number of seats in the assembly.

Most observers feel that Taib would want everything to be "still hot" after the delegates from all the party's 62 divisions return home after the EGM.

Taib is expected to touch on various issues which the opposition has been harping on and to convince the delegates not to believe them as well as to take steps to counter the opposition's propaganda on the ground.

Constant attack

Taib's family business interests have come under constant attack by the opposition. Also his policy on Native Customary Rights (NCR) land, which has been a subject of much debate among Sarawakians.

Recently, a Kuching High Court ruled in favour of NCR landowners, effectively stopping a large pulp and paper mill company from including a piece of NCR land under the lease issued by the Land Office.

The land issue has been capitalised by the opposition to some good effect. And this has worried many BN leaders on the ground. The government has moved in, not to deny that lands have been acquired for various purposes but to ensure that adequate compensations were being paid to the affected owners.

Another factor which seems to support the speculation that elections are near, is the announcement made by the Elections Commission head in Sarawak that some 16,000 personnel are ready to be mobilised for what the commission has described to be the most expensive elections - costing RM24 million.

With a state as large as the whole of peninsular Malaysia minus Perlis, to hold polling in a single day is a monumental task. It requires airlifting ballot boxes from some remote areas.

But from all indications, the real battles are to be fought not so much in the remote areas but in towns and the suburbs as well as several Malay constituencies.

The BN is expected to win easily in most if not all Dayak-majority areas. Interest this time around is focused on the Chinese and Malay areas where Keadilan, PAS and DAP are going to put up much more than a spirited fight to unseat the BN incumbents.

Taib confident

With the fight expected to focus on urban and suburban areas, considerable media coverage is expected. But with the mainstream media in the hands of groups closely identified with the ruling coalition, the opposition will have to rely, as they do, on house-to-house campaigning, by word of mouth and the alternative media, namely the Internet.

Taib's possible decision to call for state elections in August, according to the sources, indicates his confidence in fighting the opposition's challenge, which at one time appeared to be rather formidable.

The opposition is probably still as threatening, but the split between Keadilan and DAP on issues such as the right to nominate candidates in certain urban constituencies may prove to be to their disadvantage.

"So why not hold elections now?" the sources said pointing out Taib could effectively capitalise on the opposition rift.