Two Barisan Nasional candidates were returned unopposed when nominations closed at 11 this morning for Sarawak's 9th state election.

For the rest of the 71 contested seats, there will be straight fights in 54 while the rest will see mostly three-cornered contests.

In the 2001 state election, four BN candidates were returned unopposed in Batu Kawah, Batang Ai, Katibas and Be'kalalan.

This time, BN candidates were returned unopposed in Dalat and Daro, both Melanau-majority seats near Sibu.

State assistant minister Fatimah Abdullah, a former educationist, won the Dalat seat after her prospective opponent Ibrahim Seruji@Songly decided to withdraw 15 minutes after the close of nomination.

BN newcomer Murni Suhaili, a former Mardi officer, was the only one who filed nomination papers for the new seat of Daro and was immediately proclaimed winner.

Daro and the neighbouring Jemoreng were among several seats that the opposition PKR had yesterday said it would not be fielding any candidates. No reason was given.

Chief Minister and state BN leader Abdul Taib Mahmud and his two deputies, Dr George Chan and Alfred Jabu, are all defending their respective seats, Balingian, Piasau and Layar - all of which are straight fights.

Hot seats

The hot seats to watch fall in three categories:

  • those where some opposition leaders are trying to make a comeback, such as in Bukit Begunan and Bukit Assek

  • those which the opposition seeks to break through BN strongholds such as Padungan, Batang Ai and Pelagus

  • seats where there is internal party strive within the ruling BN coalition, such as in Meradong, Ngemah, Belaga and Batu Danau.

    • In Meradong , a BN-SUPP stronghold, the prospects of it falling into the hands of the opposition have been apparently increased because of infighting, as its candidate, Wong Zee Yeng, 26, is being challenged by an equally young DAP's Ting Tze Fui, 24.

    They are joined by a former SUPP branch leader Frederick Wong, a former SUPP state assemblyperson David Tiong and a spoiler of Iban votes, Junat Jamek, making it a five-cornered fight.

    Two former SPDP state assemblypersons Stanley Ajang and Gabriel Adit, who were dropped from the BN list, are back in the fray as Independents in Belaga and Ngemah . They are known to have strong support from the ground and will give the BN candidates a tough time.

    In northern Sarawak, in the Lun Bawang-majority seat Be'kalalan , Snap's Bari Bian, a well-known Orang Ulu land rights lawyer, is again challenging BN's Nelson Balang.

    In the by-election two years ago, Baru lost badly in Iban areas but won in Lun Bawang area. The Iban areas have since been taken out and now form part of the new seat of Batu Danau.

    Iban seats on watchlist

    Another seat to watch is Semop where state assembly speaker Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar is being challenged by PKR's Dr Norh Sa'bi, a dentist, said to have the support of some influential factions within BN.

    There has been an orchestrated campaign to oust Asfia, a lawyer by training, with T-shirts being distributed asking him to go back to Bintulu where he originally came from.

    A hot Iban seat is Bukit Begunan where Snap's Daniel Tajem, a former deputy chief minister and president of the now defunct PBDS, is challenging the incumbent Mong Dagang of BN-PRS. This is expected to be a close fight with the big guns expected to descend on the area.

    Another area which is also being keenly watched in Batang Ai , the Iban-majority seat where MDC protem chairperson Ncholas Bawin is hoping to oust incumbent BN-PRS vice-president and state assistant minister Dublin Unting.

    Yet another is Engkilili - an Iban-majority seat BN-SUPP stalwart Toh Heng San gave up in favour of Jonathan Krai Pilo - which is being challenged by Snap's Dr Johnical Rayong. In the last election against Toh, Johnical lost by a small margin.

    Another seat which is being closely watched too is Pelagus , the Iban-majority seat where the incumbent Larry Sng, state assistant minister and son of BN-PRS deputy president Sng Chee Hua, is being challenged by two other candidates, including Snap's Simon Sibat, considered as the more serious challenger and said to have the good support from other opposition parties.

    Tussle for Chinese votes

    In Chinese-majority areas, state DAP leader Wong Ho Leng is trying to make a comeback in Bukit Assek where he is taking on BN-SUPP's Daniel Ngieng.

    His colleague Chiew Chin Sing is defending his seat in Kidurong where this time BN-SUPP's Paul Yong is trying to dislodge him, although most political pundits are saying that it would be an uphill task as the DAP man is a popular personality in Bintulu.

    Snap's Kebing Wan, who once served as an independent state assemblyperson, is trying to make a comeback in Telang Usan where he will be taking on incumbent Lihan Jok.

    In Kuching, state DAP secretary and Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen is in a straight fight with BN-SUPP's Alfred Yap Chin Loi in the new Chinese-majority seat of Kota Sentosa .

    At the other end of town, PKR's Dominique Ng will face incumbent Lily Yong Lee Lee in Padungan and the latest prediction is 55:45 in favour of the BN-SUPP candidate.

    But Ng is being assisted by some PKR Chinese leaders to hammer home his points about the need for an opposition to speak for them in the state assembly in the campaigning ahead before polling on May 20.

    Independent analysts expect that with so many straight fights, better unity among opposition parties and internal problems within BN, the opposition could garner as many as half a dozen seats. The more optimistic expect a haul of as many as 10 or more.

    In the last state assembly, the opposition held only one seat - DAP's Kidurong.

    Map of Sarawak's state seats