For four terms, Frederick Bayoi has represented the Bidayuh community's interests in the Sarawak legislature, under the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) banner. He may not defend his seat in the next state election.

Bayoi, 63, is facing strong internal pressure to step aside and make way for a younger community representative to stand in the Kedup seat, one of six Bidayuh-majority constituencies.

One name being mentioned frequently is that of Martin Ben, the 43-year-old son of former state assistant minister Michael Ben.

Martin , who is involved in business, is Bayoi's deputy in the Kedup division of PBB, the party led by Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud ( photo ).

When contacted , Martin said: "Yes, I am interested, but it's up to the party leadership to decide."

His father is a well-known Bidayuh community leader who, in earlier days, represented the Sarawak National Party (Snap) as elected representative for Tebakang.

When Snap joined the state ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN), he was appointed assistant minister and also served as Wali Kota for Samarahan, near Kuching.

One argument against Bayoi, according to many party members and voters, is that he has over-stayed and that "he has not been performing his duties".

A source said Bayoi had previously told constituents that the 2001 state election would be his last. He won by a huge majority of about 7,000 votes in a three-cornered fight.

"But he has recently changed his tune and has sent out word that he will continue to serve, so long as the state leadership wants him," the source said.

The party's other two Bidayuh incumbents - state minister Michael Manyin and lawyer Roland Sagah - are expected to defend their respective seats of Tebedu and Tarat.

Incumbents all set

Bayoi, a Malaysian Information Services press officer-turned-politician, is also the Wali Kota of Samarahan.

He was first elected in the 1987 state election after the so-called 'Ming Court crisis', when former head of state and chief minister Rahman Yakub unsuccessfully attempted to topple the state BN government led by his nephew Taib.

The Bidayuh-majority state seats - three of which are held by PBB - include Bengoh and Opar which are under Sarawak United People's Party(Supp) and Tasik Biru under Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP).

Supp and SPDP are expected to field their incumbents.

Supp is taking the new seat of Opar, which is 90 percent Dayak Selako, in exchange for Tanjung Datu which is now a Malay-majority one following changes to electoral boundaries last year.

The Bidayuh community makes up about 8.4 percent or about 290,000 of the state's estimated population of 2.5 million, but has fewer state seats than the Melanau community (6 percent of the population with 10 Melanau-majority state seats).

Sarawak's largest ethnic group, the Iban (30.1 percent), are represented in 20 state seats, Malays (21 percent) hold 17 state seats and the Chinese (26 percent) have 15 state seats.

Minority groups are represented in the rest of the Dayak seats such as Lun Bawang, Kayan, Kenyah and Kelabit areas.

Three of the Iban-majority seats are represented by Chinese Malaysians - Parti Rakyat Sarawak's Larry Sng in Pelagus, Supp's Toh Heng San in Engkilili and SPDP's Richard Wong in Limbang.