S'WAK POLLS | LIVE BLOG DAY 9 The first ballots in the battle for Sarawak will be cast today by security forces as part of early voting throughout the state.
Meanwhile, campaigning for the big day on May 7 continues with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak doing walkabouts and events in Sri Aman and Kuching, while caretaker chief minister Adenan Satem leaves Miri for Bintulu.
On the other side of the political fence, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng is holding a morning press conference in Sibu, while PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang will hold his in Kuching.
Follow our LIVE BLOG as the Malaysiakini team in Sarawak brings you the news as it takes place.
11.30PM - Kuching: PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man decries restrictions on the duration of stay imposed on its peninsula-based election volunteers by the Sarawak government.
He claims that some of them were told to leave before May 5.
"PAS staffers are only allowed to stay until May 5. That is not right in the democratic context.
"There shouldn't be any restrictions on volunteers, the duration of their stay should not be limited, especially during the Sarawak polls," he says, talking to reporters at the PAS headquarters in Kuching.
Meanwhile PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang adds that in response, the Islamic party are turning to volunteers from Sarawak locals.
"What's important is that we have large numbers of local volunteers," says Hadi.
11.15pm - Tudan, Miri: A steady crowd of about 50 people are at DAP's mini ceramah in this satellite town, 20 minutes out from the heart of Miri.
All three of DAP's candidates for Miri's three urban seats are here to speak, delivering speeches in Malay and English on costs of living issues, to warm response.
Incumbent Piasau assemblyperson Alan Ling attacks Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and the RM2.6 billion donation scandal in his speech.
"Najib is accused of pocketing RM2.6 billion but isn't punished.
"If someone poor steals a can of sardines he is jailed for two months," he says, to applause from the audience.
11.10pm- Kampong Dato, Nangka, Sibu: DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng, rushes from Sarikei, a town about an hour's driving distance away, reaching the venue to a thunderous welcome from the 5, 000 strong crowd.
This will be his last ceramah in Sarawak as he will be leaving tomorrow due to a limited stay allowed by BN state government.
He is slated to be the last speaker in the ceramah.
Earlier, Dudong candidate Yap Hoi Leong says his contest is a battle between a tycoon and the ordinary people.
Citing Sin Chew Daily, Yap points out that his rival, BN direct candidate Tiong Thai King, has tried to portray himself as the underdog.
Tiong is reported as saying that he is 2000 votes behind Yap as reckoned by local gambling circles.
"I urge the Sarawak police investigate Tiong's statement immediately," Yap shouts energetically.
Famous DAP speaker Hew Kuan Yau, dubbed as "superman", also speaks to the crowd through Skype.
He points out caretaker Chief Minister Adenan Satem had barred a large number of DAP leaders from entering Sarawak, including Selangor speaker Hannah Yeoh, who is seen as a level-headed politician.
"Are you going to black us out on the voting day? Otherwise why are you kicking us out of Sarawak?"
He also says that Umno describes Sarawak as "fixed deposit", which is an insult to Sarawak’s voters.
10pm - Old Batu Kitang, Kuching: A normally sleepy village comes alive as a multitude of DAP speakers come to speak, including newly inducted member Major Zaidi Ahmad.
As testament to how seriously political parties take the newly created seat, the DAP ceramah was held next to and opposite of both BN and PKR area headquarters.
Old Batu Kitang is made up of Malay, Iban and Chinese residents.
8.50pm - Stampin Resettlement, Kota Sentosa: DAP Batu Kitang candidate Abdul Aziz Isa takes to the stage and throws a challenge to caretaker chief minister Adenan Satem and Barisan Nasional for a debate on GST.
"Adenan come, I'm not scared. Lo Khere Chiang come, I'm not scared.
"Come and debate with me, I'm not scared," Abdul Aziz says as the crowd cheers on.
"It doesn't matter whether we are Iban, Chinese, or Malay, we are all Sarawakians," supporters chant Abdul Aziz's name as he continues his speech in Iban language.
8:30pm - 4 1/2 Mile Kuching: PKR candidate for Batu Kitang Voon Shiak Ni describes a bureaucratic nightmare of getting a particular drain in Padawan unblocked.
"The matter took months to resolve. No one wanted to take responsibility, least of all Lo Khere Chiang," says Voon, referring to the area's municipal chairman, who is also Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) candidate for Batu Kitang.
Voon tells the audience of 50 to deny Lo and SUPP president Sim Kui Hian total control of Batu Kitang: "Who will you turn to then the next time you have a problem?"
8.30PM - Stampin Resettlement, Kota Sentosa: The crowd starts to swell as heavy traffic trails towards the ceramah venue at Stampin Resettlement Scheme.
About 500 people are there as Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun takes the stage to speak on 1MDB and GST.
There is a slight commotion when one of the supporters, apparently drunk, tries to interrupt the speech, shouting for people to support and vote for DAP.
6pm - Sibu: BN direct candidate Wong Soon Koh who is contesting in Bawang Assan for the fifth time, reckons he needs more than 50 percent of the Chinese votes to survive the five-corner battle in the state polls.
Otherwise, he says, he may lose the seat. He alleged someone has arranged a Dayak candidate to contest, to split his Dayak votes.
He was clearly referring to former PBB supreme council member Watson Bangau, who was sacked by his party on nomination day for standing.
He has never gained more than 50 percent of the Chinese votes in the Chinese-majority seat and only managed to win the seats with 80 percent to 85 percent of bumiputera votes, he says, as quoted by Sin Chew Daily.
Wong, a school principal-turned-politician, outlines the importance of Chinese being included in the political mainstream, and that he was the only Chinese minister in the state cabinet, while there are only two, out of 55 BN state assemblypersons.
He says he still worked all out for the Chinese although it was the bumiputeras who voted him in.
#SarawakElection @malaysiakini A DAP supporter held a flag at Stutong and says "Tak nak GST, Undi DAP" to the crowd pic.twitter.com/tchjOLoLsg
— Norman Goh (@imnormgoh) May 3, 2016
Band rocks out in front of a KFC to attract crowd to mini-DAP ceramah later in Tudan @malaysiakini pic.twitter.com/23PgPSTv9P
— Zikri Kamarulzaman (@zikri) May 3, 2016
4pm - Miri: PAS ramps its efforts to win the Chinese-majority seat of Pujut up a notch by roping in former Perak DAP assemblyperson Sum Cheok Leong to campaign for the Islamic party.
Sum, who was in DAP for 44 years before joining PAS in late 2015, says PAS is a far better choice than DAP.
"The rocket when it finishes speaking in the state assembly, balik tidur (it will just go back and sleep.)
"DAP likes to play up issues, and that's all it's good for.
"Now PAS is the only party that's clean in the political arena," he says at a press conference here.
Sum will be campaigning for both PAS candidates for Pujut, Jofrie Jaraiee, and for Lambir, Arifiriazul Paijo, starting tonight.
3.30 pm - Sarikei: A DAP leader has hit out at BN Repok candidate Huang Tiong Sii, who has business interests in Bintulu and Papua New Guinea, for promising the constituents that he will come home only once a month.
DAP's Tanjong parliamentarian Ng Wei Aik also slams BN Meradong candidate Ding Kuong Hiing for agreeing to take care of Repok whenever the tycoon is absent.
Both Repok and Meradong fall under the Sarikei parliamentary seat.
Ng, who claims he possesses a copy of an audio recording of the duo from last night, said there is no need to vote for ansentee candidate such as those.
DAP's Meradong candidate Yong Siew Wei, on the other hand said Ng, will be available full-time in Sarikei to serve the people.
He also questions the timber tycoon's motive for wanting to elected to the state legislative assembly if he doesn't want to be around serve the poeple.
"Huang claims he will lose face and need to move to Sibu if he lose in the state poll. But even if he is elected, he only wants to come home twelvel times a year," said Ng.
"Of course he can have his aides help him. But does he want the people to go Sibu to meet him personally ?...The people are not like him, travel with a helicopter," he jabs.
Meradong and Repok are predominantly Chinese majority seats won by DAP in 2011. Ting Tze Fui is defending Meradong.
3.15pm - Kuching: State DAP leader Chong Chieng Jen claims that masses of soldiers and their family members have flown into the state and are staying at upscale hotels like The Boulevard to vote.
"We have raised the issue in Parliament and to the Election Commission (EC) that these West Malaysian soldiers are staying in hotels instead of army barracks. It is actually illegal for groups of soldiers in uniform to move about outside of the barracks," says Chong (photo).
He adds that he would not be lodging a report.
"I would be wasting my time with the EC. There's only a few days left. I rather take my case directly to the voters."
Meanwhile, DAP incumbents Violet Yong and Christina Chiew allege that their phone numbers have been hacked after receiving strange messages.
"The hackers are using our numbers to send out racially charged messages in Mandarin, like DAP do not need non-Chinese support in urban areas," says Yong.
3.09pm - Kuching: PKR candidate for Satok Mohd Salleh Shawkatali protests the government's plan to relocate the Satok Tembok foodstalls, calling the move “ill-conceived”.
"The new location is far away from public transport. Hawkers would also have to compete with businesses at Kubah Ria at the new location," says Mohd Salleh, after handing in a memorandum to the Kuching North Municipal Hall.
The RM13-million plan was mooted by state housing minister Abang Johari, who is the incumbent Satok state assemblyperson.
1pm - Petaling Jaya: PKR pledges to demand the federal government to cease treating Sarawak workers as second-class with the disparity of minimum wages between East and West Malaysia.
"If we have a stronger voice in the Sarawak state legislative assembly, our legislators will definitely demand the state government to liaise with the central government so that workers are not treated as second-class workers," says PKR vice-president Tian Chua.
He slams Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak for not understanding the concept of minimum wage as the people in the Borneo states have higher cost of living.
"Why should Sarawak workers only get RM920 minimum wage while (workers) in peninsula get RM1,000?" he asks.
"Until now, I don't see any justification for that."
Meanwhile, PKR also announces that it has built an eight-kilometre stretch of farm road linking Kampung Lempaong in Layar state seat, Betong.
Known as "Jalan Keadilan", the construction of the RM60,000 road commenced early this year.
PKR Layar candidate Vernon Albert Kedit is facing BN's Gerald Rentap Jabu (PBB), the son of the incumbent deputy chief minister Alfred Jabu Numbang.
12.30pm - Petaling Jaya: Both PKR vice-presidents Tian Chua and Nurul Izzah slam the blatant vote-buying in Sarawak, particularly involving Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
In a press conference today, Chua calls on the Election Commission (EC) to immediately issue a warning against Zahid and other politicians for using such methods to gain votes.
"EC must shows its integrity by acting without fear or favour. It cannot be blind to all these reports. If they do not read Malaysiakini, they should read all mainstream papers which carried the news," he said.
Zahid yesterday announced RM250,000 in allocation for the Royal Malaysian Police's General Operations Force (PGA), Kuching camp, a day before its members are set to cast their votes in advance voting.
Meanwhile, Nurul says the party is mulling to lodge report with EC and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
11.58am: A total of 24,604 early voters will be casting their ballots at 79 polling centres.
The figure does not include early voters for the Bukit Kota and Bukit Sari seats which were won uncontested by BN candidates.
Thirty-three of the 79 voting centres will close at 2 pm and the rest at 5pm. Counting of these ballots will start at 4 pm on polling day (May 7). It will be done at the vote tallying centres in the presence of polling agents of the respective candidates.
The electoral roll shows that Stakan constituency has the highest number of early voters with 7,055, followed by Bukit Sentosa (3,163), Nangka (3,043), Batu Kawah (1,241) and Sri Aman (1,075).
10.20am - IPD Miri: Early voting at the Miri district police headquarters is going smoothly with 475 officers expected to cast their ballots for Piasau, Lambir and Bekenu.
Miri police chief Junaidi Bujang says voting will close at 2pm, although those who are on duty till 3pm may cast their votes between 4pm and 5pm.
Commenting on the electoral campaigning so far, Junaidi says there has been no untoward incidents besides the usual defacement of banners.
"Alhamdulillah, so far in the Miri campaign nothing very interesting has happened," he says.
9.45am - Kuching: A poll conducted by Sarawak for Sarawakian (S4S) reveals that 85 percent of respondents want a reinstatement of the state’s previous immigration policy where non-Sarawakians must show their passport when entering the state.
A total 1,580 Sarawakians responded to the survey through Facebook and WeChat, said S4S spokeperson Don Lai, according to See Hua Daily News.
9.30am - Kuching: BN Batu Kawah candidate Dr Sim Kui Hian has tried to distance himself from the controversial goods and services tax (GST) that has resulted in unprecedented price hikes nationwide.
He claimed that he was made senator five days after the implementation of GST. He was quoted as saying by Chinese daily See Hua at a ceramah last night that he had been vocal on GST.
Nevertheless, he said the money raised from the new tax is used for national development.
He also stressed the importance of the Chinese minority in Sarawak to have a presence in the state government. Sim told the Chinese not to miss the bus driven by Adenan, as there is no guarantee that next bus will be better.
9am - Sibu: DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng says he will not defy the deadline imposed by the Sarawak government and will leave the state tomorrow.
Asked about when he will be back, he says he may not be able to return.
"As a respect to Sarawak autonomy, I will not make the police arrest and drag me out (of the state)," he tells reporters at a breakfast press conference with all four Sibu DAP candidates before a ‘Kopitiam Talk’ in Sibu.
