news feature One new and certainly puzzling side to the Sarawak elections story this time is the emergence of groups of Independents seeking to be elected into the state assembly.

The biggest group, ABU, is led by former defence minister and ex-deputy leader of Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud's Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB), Abang Abu Bakar.

Although ABU is known as the largest single group of Independents contesting the 58 seats - the Barisan Nasional won four uncontested on nomination day - Abang Abu Bakar has not officially indicated his team's exact number nor their identify.

All his aides are willing to say is that the local constituents where they are contesting know who the ABU group's candidates are. For one, Abang Abu Bakar himself is contesting in Taib's former constituency Asajaya in a three-cornered fight involving also Barisan Nasional and Parti Keadilan Nasional.

Lately, a new but much smaller group of eight Independents has surfaced and linked publicly to a former deputy education minister, Salleh Jafaruddin, once a state assemblyman for Balingian and a relative of former chief minister and head of state, Abdul Rahman Yakub.

Salleh told malaysiakini he is involved as an 'organiser' and even hinted that 'a towkay or towkays' in Peninsular Malaysia are behind the group, which includes Salleh's wife Sharipah, a former bank officer and university graduate.

One of this group of eight Independents is taking on Taib in Balingian. The others are in predominantly Melanau, Malay and Iban areas, all contesting against Taib's PBB.

Call from 'sponsor'

Salleh, who like Taib is also a Melanau but has clearly fallen out with the chief minister since the Ming Court affair in 1987, said that their move is 'part of a long overdue problem'.

"We want to show that the challenge against Taib is not a sandiwara (play acting)," he said, a clear reference to talk that since the Ming Court crisis, Rahman and Taib have only put a show about their quarrels in order to perpetuate the Melanau political power in Sarawak.

But before he could go further with the interview, Salleh received a call on his mobile phone from what he described as "the sponsor" telling him not to talk too much to the press.

Another strange development, hitherto still not explained convincingly, is the decision of the opposition Sarawak Reform Party (Star) secretary-general Francis Siah to stand at the last minute in the Chinese majority seat of Batu Lintang in Kuching not on a Star but Independent ticket.

The rest of the Independents contesting in various constituencies through Sarawak include disgruntled members of some Sarawak Barisan Nasional parties, including those standing in Kemena in Bintulu.

Altogether, 172 candidates representing either their respective political parties or as Independents are offering themselves for election. Polling takes place next Thursday, Sept 27, which has been declared a public holiday.

TONY THIEN is malaysiakini correspondent in Sarawak.