KUCHING: Underscoring the hottest campaign ever ahead, all 71 seats in the 10th Sarawak state election will be contested for the first time in the state's history since 1970.
The April 16 polls attracted a record turnout of 213 candidates including the highest number of 41 independents, according to the Election Commission after nominations closed today, kicking off 10 days of campaigning.
Over half of the seats, 44 to be exact, will be multi-cornered battles. There will be 23 three-cornered, 17 four-cornered, two five-cornered and two six-cornered tussles.
The Barisan Nasional (BN) which held 63 seats in the state assembly before its dissolution on March 21, will face one-to-one fights in 27 areas compared to 54 in 2006.
The BN is contesting all seats and is being challenged by the DAP in 15 largely urban Chinese areas while Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) is fielding 49 candidates in Malay and Dayak areas.
The Sarawak National Party (SNAP) is banking on 26 candidates in the Dayak heartland areas too, Parti Cinta Malaysia is making its debut by going for six seats in rural Malay and Iban areas, and Pas in five Malay seats.division.
The overwhelming Melanau-populated Jemoreng seat in Mukah division appears for the picking of the BN as incumbent Abu Seman Jahwie is facing two independents, Asbor Abdullah and Abdul Hafiz Noh.
Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) president, who spearheads the BN charge for his final time is among those locked a three-cornered fight.
His fellow state BN leaders, Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) president Tan Sri Dr George Chan, Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Datuk Seri Dr James Masing and Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) Datuk Seri William Mawan face straight fights in their backyards of Piasau, Baleh and Pakan respectively.
"If it is a multi-cornered fight, it will still benefit the BN. Maybe the opposition feels that after their performance in the 2008 general election, the Sarawak election could be the same," said Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) political science lecturer Dr Sivamurugan Pandian when contacted.
Taib himself is in a three-way contest against his cousin Datuk Salleh Jafaruddin, who is standing as an independent, and PKR first-timer Suriati Abdullah in Balingan in Mukah.
Taib led the PBB to a clean sweep of all 35 seats it contested in 2006, in the Malay and Dayak areas.
The SUPP, the Chinese-majority representative in the BN state coalition, is under pressure to redeem itself after losing eight of 19 seats it contested in 2006, with six going to the DAP.
Dr Chan said the largely Chinese urban voters, who had swung to the DAP in 2006, must decide if they still wanted to be a part of the government.
"If they are outside the government, can they do as much? I would think that we can do more inside the government," said Dr Chan who faces DAP newcomer, lawyer Ling Sie Kiong.
The PRS won eight of nine seats in 2006 while SPDP swept all eight seats it was given.
Tensions between PKR and SNAP following their seat dispute over Iban areas worsened when PKR fielded a candidate, Gerang ak Dagom, in Marudi which is being eyed by SNAP president Edwin Dundang Bugak.
PKR deputy Azmin Ali had announced on Monday the party would contested in 49 areas but left Marudi and Pakan to SNAP.
The Marudi contest is now a four-way tussle with BN-SUPP incumbent Sylvester Entrie ak Muran and an independent, Michael Ding, also in the fray.
PKR is also facing the ire of its former assemblyman, Dominique Ng, who quit the party to return as an independent to fight again for the urban Chinese seat of Padungan.
Ng had saved the PKR from a whitewash in 2006 when the party contested 25 seats. He was PKR's only winner by taking Padungan but was shocked when PKR swapped Padungan with Batu Lintang and axed him totally.
New faces BN-SUPP's Sim Kiang Chiok and DAP's Wong King Wei are running in Padungan.
In the interior Pelagus constituency which is set for a new assemblyman to replace former state assistant minister Larry Sng, BN-PRS candidate Stanley Unja will fight it out with Edward Sumbang ak Asun (PKR) and independent, George ak Lagong.
PKR state chief Baru Bian takes a third stab at Ba'Kelalan against BN's newcomer Willie Liau after losing in 2001 as an independent and 2006 when contesting under the SNAP banner.
DAP state chairman Wong Ho Leng is defending Bukit Assek in a three-corner affair against BN newcomer Chieng Buong Toon and independent, Hii Tiong Huat.
PAS state commissioner Adam Ahid is contesting in Sebuyau against Julaihi Narawi (BN-PBB) and independent aspirant, Ali Semsu.
The 2006 polls drew 158 candidates with 20 independents of which 19 lost. The exception was Gabriel Adit Demond who won Ngemah and later joined PCM.
Source: http://www.mmail.com.my/content/68704-record-contests-hottest-ever-sarawak-polls
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