Nomination day in the battle for S'wak

9am to 10am: Nomination period

10am to 11am: Objection period

11am to 12 noon: EC to make official announcement on candidates

 

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The 10th Sarawak election is under way with the nomination process kicking off at 9am throughout the state. This will be followed by 10 days of campaigning with polling on April 16.

Judging by the many months of build-up, the polls promise to be an exciting affair, which will see BN pulling out all stops to defend its position held since the last state election on May 20, 2006.

BN suffered a setback in that election, losing eight seats mostly in the Chinese-dominated Kuching area and also the rural Dayak-majority seats of Engkilili and Ngemeh.

The rival Pakatan Rakyat coalition, backed by its experience of governing several states in Peninsular Malaysia, is offering Sarawakians an alternative government.

Adding to the excitement is the large number of multi-cornered fights expected with parties such as Sarawak National Party (Snap), Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM) and Parti Ekonomi Rakyat Sarawak (PERS) joining the fray in a sizable number of hotly-contested bumiputera-majority seats.

The focus will also be on a handful 'heavyweights' standing as Independents, including former deputy education minister Salleh Jafaruddin who is challenging Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud in Balingian.

There will also be heated contests in some rural seats where there is disquiet over the government handling of native customary rights to land, deforestation and the building of massive hydro-electric dams.

In urban areas, BN is expected to play its tried-and-tested ‘Vote BN for development’ card against an opposition onslaught of national issues and calls to replace Sarawak's crop of aging government leaders.

LIVE REPORTS

8.45am: Balingian - About 300 PBB supporters have gathered at a mosque, 1km from the nomination centre, with more expected to trickle in. In this state seat in the Mukah district, long-time CM Abdul Taib Mahmud will defend his seat against PKR's Suriati Abdullah and a surprise Independent candidate, Salleh Jafaruddin, who is a cousin of Taib.

Salleh ( left ) arrives with his wife and five supporters at 7.20am.

The 67-year-old former deputy education minister, who has not been in active politics for more than 20 years, said he thought that nominations were to be filed from 8am.

8.45am: Bukit Assek - the incumbent Wong Ho Leng arrives at the nomination centre in the Sibu public library, with about 100 supporters who are clad in red ‘Ubah’ (change) t-shirts, carrying party flags and shouting "Want to change? Vote for Rocket!"

Wong is accompanied by his wife Irene Chang,43, his father Wong Choon Hoon, 79, and father-in-law Chang Foh Onn, 73.

BN-SUPP candidate Chieng Buon Toon arrives with his wife, daughter and over 100 supporters.

The supporters are also carrying balloons and banners such as "Fully support Buon Toon!"

Bukit Assek is a 95% Chinese-majority seat, located in the heart of Sibu.

8.47am: Satok - About 250 BN supporters have gathered about 2.5km from the nomination centre at Sekolah Kebangsaan Merpati Jepang.

They are here to throw their weight behind PBB deputy president and touted future chief minister Abang Johari Openg, who will defend the seat for the eighth time.

There seems to be little doubt that he will be able to do so, with Satok PBB boasting that PKR candidate and syarie lawyer Ahmad Nazib Johari will lose his deposit.

"There is no way (the PKR candidate) can make an impact. I don't even know who he is. Abang Jo is a local and we all know him," said a 30-something man who claimed to have lived in the Malay-Melanau majority area in Kuching all his life.

Abang Johari, the state housing and urban development minister, won with a majority of 2,798 votes in 2006, against PKR's 1,424. The voter turnout was however a dismal 50 percent.

8.50am: Batu Kawah - There's a festive mood in Kota Padawan where nominations are being filed at the Kota Padawan Municipal Council.

Some 200 BN supporters accompanying candidate Tan Joo Phoi, 59, from the operations centre brought traffic to a stop in this tiny Chinese-majority town, about 20km south of Kuching.

About 50 DAP supporters, the limit approved by the Election Commission (EC), accompany their candidate Christina Chiew to

the nomination centre.

"I feel quite confident. My parents are as well. They flew all the way from Sibu to support my candidacy," says 27-year-old Chiew.

She says that she is contesting with the hope of speaking out against corruption as an elected representative.

Chew is a chemical engineer and had previously served as assistant to incumbent Pending state assemblyperson Violet Yong.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng says, meanwhile, that Padungan voters must look at the Padungan contest as a choice between BN and Pakatan.

"They have a clear choice. They must decide whether they want to

strengthen a two-party system," he says.

Voters must also keep in mind that their duty is to vote for a party which is tough on graft and have people-centric policies.

"We are looking for the people of Padungan to take the lead in

Sarawak."

8.55am: Beting Maro - PAS, which is contesting five seats, has the best chance of picking up its first Sarawak seat here. Representing the Islamic party is newbie, lawyer Abang Ahmad Kerdi Abang Magasus. The fielding of a non-Islamic scholar is an attempt by PAS to bolster its image as a modern party.

BN is banking on greenhorn Razaili Gapor. There appears to be some unhappiness within the ruling coalition among supporters of dropped state rep Bolhassan Ahmad Di.

In the previous election, PAS lost by a majority of 895 in this Malay/Melanau-majority constituency comprising 4,742 voters.

9.04am: Batang Ai - Traffic movement has slowed significantly in Lubok Antu, a small town which is 82km from the nearest city Sri Aman.

BN has mobilised about 400 supporters outside the nomination centre in the local sports hall, which is about 1km from the Lubok Antu town centre, while PKR has amassed about 50 supporters.

Their greater number boosted the morale of BN supporters, who are waiving BN and PRS flags and chanting "Hidup BN!"

PKR candidate Nicholas Bawin is the first candidate to hand in his nomination form at 9am, followed by the BN incumbent Malcolm Mussen Lamoh, at 9.10am.

When approached, both express confidence about winning.

"I’m feeling as I usually do, of course, I am confident," says Lamoh.

Lamoh’s opponent Nicholas ( right ), who had contested the seat in 2006, also thinks he has a better chance this time around.

"There are many issues like corruption, land grabbing and poverty... People now know very well, especially the young people," he says.

Batang Ai is a rural seat with 94.7% Iban voters. It was a highly contested seat in the last state election as Bawin, who contested under Snap at the time, lost by a slim majority of 806 votes to BN's Dublin Unring Ingkut.

However, in the 2009 by-election, BN's Lamoh widened the majority to 1,854 votes, beating former Lubok Antu MP Jawah Gerang, who had contested on a PKR ticket.

9.05am: Padungan - Some 200 DAP and PKR supporters are outside the Majlis Perbandaran Kuching Selatan building where nominations for Padungan , Pending and Batu Lintang - three Chinese-majority seats in the capital city - are being filed.

The crowd is relatively quiet - there is no shouting of party slogans.

The Pakatan candidates are in the nomination centre, accompanied by national leaders including DAP publicity secretary Tony Pua and DAP mascot, Ubah .

SUPP and BN supporters, who arrive much later, are much bigger in number, at about 1,000, many of them carrying flags.

Incumbent Padungan state assemblyman Dominique Ng, who yesterday announced he would  contest as an Independent in either Padungan or Batu Lintang, has yet to turn up.

9.14am: Layar - PKR candidate Stanny Embat arrives in a black Mitsubishi RAV4, along with his 100-strong supporters, who march from Betong town to the district office, which serves as the nomination centre. Layar is an Iban-majority semi-rural seat held by Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu for seven consecutive terms.

Leading the entourage is PKR vice-president Mansor Othman. Supporters, who are carrying banners and party flags, shout "Reformasi!" and "Tumbang Jabu!" (Topple Jabu).

Snap candidate Joe Unggang follows closely behind, accompanied by some 50 supporters wearing yellow T-shirts in the party colours. The quiet crowd holds up a yellow banner that reads 'The time has come, vote for Snap'.

The entourage is led by a man in red traditional Iban warrior costume, with a headgear and a sword tied to his waist. Both Stanny and Joe entered the nomination centre at 9am.

9.15am:   Balingian - Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud arrives with Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and 5,000 BN supporters.

PKR candidate Suriati Abdullah arrives with a handful of supporters 15 minutes later.

9.16am: Bawang Assan - BN-SUPP stalwart Wong Soon Koh who is contesting the seat for the fifth time, appears at the nomination at Dewan Suarah Sibu near Sibu town with his wife and three children.

Some 300 supporters carrying SUPP party flags and BN flags join the parade from SUPP’s Sibu branch.

DAP candidate Alice Lau, who is contesting for the first time, showed up with some 50 supporters 10 minutes ago. She is accompanied by the party’s parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang.

Lau faced a small difficulty in submitting her nomination form as the 'permit letter' to allow banners being put up is absent. However, she managed to solve the problem.

Later, both Lau and Wong share a calm moment, enjoying the breakfast hosted by the EC.

9.17am: Satok - PBB candidate Abang Johari has handed in his nomination form, followed by PKR's Ahmad Nazib.

Ahmad Nazib ( right ) has a  dismal entourage of about 30 supporters, some of them from Peninsular Malaysia.

PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail briefly lends support for the PKR candidate before moving on the other constituencies surrounding Kuching city.

Seen among BN leaders is Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim.

Besides the many BN and PBB flags outside many homes - PKR flags are conspicious by their absence - the beginning of the election campaign in Satok makes little difference to the quiet urban village. Both groups of supporters are relatively quiet as they wait for their respective candidates to complete the nomination procedure.

It appears that no other candidate is here to hand in nomination forms, indicating a straight fight.

9.20am: Layar - Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu arrives accompanied by Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein and some 300 supporters waving BN and PBB flags.

Led by Hishammuddin, the supporters shouted "1Malaysia", "1Sarawak" and "1BN".

Jabu, drenched in sweat after the march under the hot sun, requests his supporters to comply with police instructions before he enters the nomination centre.

The BN entourage is led by two elders, one carrying a hornbill sculpture and another, an antler. At the entrance of the building, Jabu positions them on either side of an antique cannon.

He then 'caresses' the cannon while murmuring a few words. He asks Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to similarly sayang the cannon. Later, they pose for photographs.

According to Jabu's wife, the hornbill and antler are part of an Iban tradition in seeking blessings.

"During every election, he will do the ritual," she tells Malaysiakini .

Apart from Stanny (PKR), Joe (Snap) and Jabu (BN), an Independent candidate Tedewin Ngumbang is spotted inside the nomination centre.

All four take turns to file their form with EC returning officer.

Tedewin is former Parti Rakyat Sarawak deputy information chief. As PRS is a BN component party, his candidacy is likely to split Jabu's votes.

9.25am: Padungan - The much-awaited incumbent Dominique Ng finally arrives at the nomination centre for Padungan , Pending and Batu Lintang .

It is learnt that he intends to defend his seat and will face DAP candidate Wong King Wei.

Dropped by PKR at the last minute, he had said yesterday that he will either contest in Padungan or Batu Lintang.

9.26am: Batu Kawah - Incumbent Tan Joo Phoi, a local boy, is upbeat about his chances of defending his seat against Sibu-born Christina Chiew from DAP.

"They are still new to this area and have not done anything here, but we still have to work hard (in the campaign)," he said when met after submitting his nomination form.

The soft-spoken Tan is looking for a second term. He was  chairperson of Kota Padawan Municipal Council for six years before his maiden electoral foray in 2006, when he won with a whopping 4,000 votes against a PKR candidate.

He says he is quite concerned about the presence of DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng in the DAP entourage due to their "rough tactics" which peninsular campaigners apparently bring over.

"While I can't agree that this is the safest seat (in the Kuching area), but with my many years of service, I have gained a lot of support," says Tan. 

9.45am: Balingian - A minor fracas breaks out when Independent candidate Salleh Jafaruddin ( left ) raises his voice at a blonde wearing heavy make-up.

It was reported that Stella Kharleen Tashman ( right and below ) is a bomoh linked to Taib.

"You want to put a spell on me, you want to put a spell on Malaysia," says Salleh, raising his voice.

However, she just laughed and walked away, while Salleh had to be restrained by his supporters.

10am: Bawang Assan - Only  BN-SUPP’s candidate Wong Soon Koh and DAP’s Alice Lau have submitted their forms.

About 15 minutes later, Lau says she has detected a flaw in BN-SUPP candidate Wong Soon Koh's nomination form and has filed a complaint with the EC.

The representative, says Lau, claims the incumbent did not complete his forms and left the column 'name lain' (other names) blank.

10.01am: Satok - Returning officer Onn Abdullah announces the closing of nominations and the start of the objection period, which will end at 11am.

Only Abang Johari (PBB), 61 and Ahmad Nazib (PKR), 35, have filed their nomination papers for the seat.

The sun has finally emerged from behind the clouds, and supporters on both sides are staying put.

10.03am: Balingian - Returning officer  Mohamad Nawawi ( right ) announces that three people have submitted their nomination forms - Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud (PBB), former deputy education minister Salleh Jafarudin (Independent) and Suriati Abdullah (PKR).

The forms are put on display for an hour outside the nomination centre to allow the public to file objections. A three-cornered fight expected.

10.09am: Bukit Begunan - PKR’s candidate Jimmy Donald reveals that he and three others have submitted nominations for the seat.

These include BN-PRS incumbent Mong Dagang, Snap Ivanhoe Anthony Belon and one Lias Julai.

Bukit Begunan is a 92.6% Iban-majority semi-rural seat. Mong Dagang won in 2006 with a majority of 1,007 votes, beating Snap's Daniel Tajem Miri.

10.15am: Bawang Assan - BN-SUPP’s candidate Wong Soon Koh, in a cheerful mood, expresses confidence in defending the seat: "I don't feel any pressure, this is fifth time I am contesting."

Asked about the "beautiful assassins" tactic put up by DAP to beat the veteran politician by fielding young and beautiful Alice Lau, Wong laughed and said, "I am a handsome, too."

"I am young at heart. I visited the longhouse area from 7am until midnight. No problems at all (in the area)," said the 69-year-old incumbent.

Even though Lau's mother was his student long ago, he looks at  her as an opponent and will not treat the contest lightly.

Wong was once the principal of a government secondary school, and claimed some federal and state cabinet ministers were his students.

Wong was also Sarawak's second finance minister.

He won the seat with a convincing majority of 7,096 votes in the 2001 state election, although the majority was reduced to 2,504 in 2006.

10.20am: Jepak - PKR election director Fuziah Salleh on Twitter: "As many as six candidates have submitted nomination forms at the Jepak nomination centre."

They are from PKR, PBB, Snap, PCM, Parti Ekonomi Rakyat and one Independent.

10.35am: Padungan - It’s confirmed, incumbent for Padungan Dominique Ng, who quit PKR yesterday, will defend his seat as an Independent.

It will be a three-cornered fight - his opponents are Sim Kiang Chiok (SUPP) and Wong King Wei (DAP) ( right ).

It is also a three-cornered fight in Batu Lintang where a surprise candidate Soo Lina is standing as an Independent against See Chee How (PKR) and Sih Hua Tong (SUPP).

It is learnt that Soo is a former PKR member and staunch supporter of Ng.

Padungan and Batu Lintang are Chinese-majority areas in Kuching town and both are considered strongholds for Pakatan.

However, the seat swap between DAP and PKR has caused some uneasiness among party supporters and this may split the opposition vote.

Pending , however, will see a straight fight between incumbent Violet Yong (DAP) and Sim Kui Hian (SUPP).

10.36am: Belaga - Simpang Pulai assemblyperson Chan Ming Kai tweets: "Six-cornered fight at Belaga!" He later reveals the candidates to be from PKR, PRS, Snap and three Independents.

In the last election, BN candidate Liwan Lagang (PRS) won by a narrow 227-vote majority.

10.37am: Bengoh - PKR Selayang MP William Leong tweets: “Bengoh four-cornered fight Willie Mongin (PKR), Jerip Susil (BN), Richard Peter (Snap), Wejok Tomik (Independent).”

Bengoh, which is about an hour's drive from Kuching, is a Bidayuh-majority seat. In 2006, Jerip Susil defeated Snap's Mangan Ngandok.

There has been significant community resistance to the RM315 million Bengoh Dam while native customary rights land issues are also expected to be a campaign issue, which could pull votes away from BN.

10.40am: Batu Kawah - There is added excitement in Kota Padawan as Deputy Works Minister Yong Khoon Seng shows up at the nomination centre.

Yong, the SUPP vice-chairperson and MP for the area (Stampin), meets his party workers and then proceeds to the DAP camp where he calls on national secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

It turns out that Yong wants to take Lim next door for a meal of Sarawak's famous kolo mee . Also seated at the table is former Batu Lintang assemblyperson Voon Li Shan.

10.56am: Beting Maro - PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub says PAS hopes to win its first seat in Sarawak in this state election since its maiden foray in 2003.

He is accompanying party candidate Abang Awang Kerdee Abang Masagus. According to Salahuddin, there appears to be a wind of change in Sarawak.

“Before this, PAS was still new. Now we are more well-known among the locals,” he says.

Apart from Beting Maro, PAS is pinning its hopes on Sadong Jaya and Sebuyau - all of which are Malay-majority seats.

11.00am: Bawang Assan - Returning officer Wong See Meng announces that one objection has been filed against BN candidate Wong Soon Koh, but that it was rejected.

He announces that the EC has accepted the nominations of DAP candidate Alice Lau and BN-SUPP candidate Wong Soon Koh ( left ).

11.05am: Batu Kawah - It is official. Batu Kawah will see a straight fight between incumbent Tan Joo Phoi from BN and political novice Christina Chiew from DAP.

11.16am: Satok - Returning officer Onn Abdullah announces that both Abang Johari and Ahmad Nazib's nominations have been accepted despite three objections.

The announcement was met with loud chants of ‘Reformasi!’ by the small but spirited group of PKR supporters.

BN supporters try to outdo them by chants of ‘1Malaysia!’ but cannot match the theatrics of PKR members, who at that point had lifted Ahmad Nazib into the air.

"I have been a resident of Satok since 2008 so I am a local, and I believe I can bring fresh ideas for the youth, through a dynamic party and not an outdated one like BN.”

He adds that he is not a "parachute candidate" and that he hopes his experience as a lawyer and active involvement in NGOs can make him a youth icon.

Abang Johari, however, rubbishes the challenge, saying that he had faced a young candidate from PKR in 2006 and emerged victorious.

"PKR is in shambles. Even the person that they pinned their hopes on, Dominique Ng, has quit the party," he said.

11.18: Batang Ai - It’s a one to one fight between BN-PRS incumbent Malcom Mussen Lamoh and PKR's Nicholas Bawin Anggat.

11.30am: Simanggang - The only Iban seat contested by DAP will see a straight fight between son of former Sri Aman MP Jimmy Donald, Leon Donald (DAP), and BN-SUPP incumbent Francis Harden.

11.35 Balingian - PKR supporters are arguing with police and officers from the district office because they were not allowed into the inner area of the nomination centre.

Apparently the police claimed that it was because of "security reasons", even though they had a pass enabling them to go in.

Led by former deputy Youth chief Fariz Musa, they also demand for the police to remove DPM Muhyiddin Yassin who is in the building, saying that there shouldn't be double standards.

11.36am: Bukit Assek, Pelawan, Meradon

Bukit Assek

DAP: Wong Ho Leng

BN-SUPP: Chieng Buong Toon

Independent : Hii Tiong Huat

Pelawan

BN-SUPP Goh Chung Siong

DAP David Wong Kee Woan

Meradong

DAP : Ting Tze Fui

BN-SUPP: Lim Kie King

11.40am: Beting Maro - BN’s Razaili Gapor, 55, will go one-on-one against PAS’ Abang Kerdee Abang Masagus, 32.

One objection was filed, but this was rejected by the EC.

1216pm: Layar - Four-cornered fight. All nominations accepted.

12.38pm: Engkilili - Four-way contest at one of the two bumiputera seats won by the opposition in the last poll. The four are Jimmy Simon Maja (Independent); Marudi@Barudi ak Mawong (Independent); Johnical Rayong (BN); and Semijie ak Jianting (Snap).

1.02pm: Three-corner fights in Padungan and Batu Lintang ; straight fight in Pending .

12.40pm: Bukit Saban It'll be a three-cornered fight - Dayrell Walter Entrie (Snap), Robert Lawson Chuat (BN), Jerah Engkiong@Edward Jerah (PKR).

12.45pm: Baleh PKR candidate Frankie Bendindang Manjah tells Malaysiakini that word had spread online that his nomination had been rejected causing his rival PRS president James Masing to win uncontested is untrue.

"Who said I'm disqualified? The returning officer announced that James Masing and I are candidates. It's a one-on-one fight," he says.

A news portal earlier reported via micro-blogging website Twitter that BN gained its first seat at Baleh as the PKR candidate was found to be bankrupt.

Meanwhile, a check with the EC confirmed that no seat has been won uncontested.

1.30pm: Muara Tuang Mahfuz Omar says the objection by PAS’ Noraini Hamzah on BN’s candidate has been rejected. PAS is alleging that the PBB candidate (who is Taib’s brother) did not submit election expenses documents for 2006 polls and wants the PBB candidate disqualified. EC announces one-on-one contest there.

1.30pm: It is understood that candidates for up to 10 seats have yet to be announced by the respective returning officers.

This has stalled an EC press conference in Kuching scheduled for 12.30pm.

2.50pm: At PKR's daily press conference party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail condemned what the party sees as EC bias in not allowing Pakatan Rakyat objections on two seats - Muara Tuang (N15) and Telang Usan (N67).

She said the EC had rejected PAS' objections to BN candidate Mohamad Ali Mahmud who did not hand in his financial 2006 statement within the stipulated time.

It is believed that he handed it in after the objection period expired at 11am this morning.

"This is an affront to the EC's own credibility," she said.

In Telang Usan, she said an Independent candidate's nomination was accepted depite Pakatan Rakyat's objection that he is a BN member and has not resigned from a government post as village chief.

The EC is due to hold a press conference on all 71 seats soon.

Wan Azizah added that this is the first time in Sarawak's history that no seat has been won uncontested.

PKR is facing 14 straight fights, 26 multiple-cornered fights involving Snap (following the breakdown in seat negotiations) and 9 more multiple-cornered fights involving Independents.

3.10pm: The EC has yet to hold its press conference. The delay is believed to be related to unresolved objections over several seats.

4pm: EC chief Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof finally holds his press conference, refuting claims that incumbent BN Muara Tuang state assemblyperson Mohd Ali Mahmud, the younger brother to Chief Minister Taib Mahmud, was disqualified from contesting.

This concludes Malaysiakini's live coverage for nomination day.

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