About 10,000 people are expected to accompany the two candidates to the nomination centre in Lubok Antu tomorrow for the Batang Ai by-election.

taib mahmud 03 khalid ibrahim Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud will lead the BN side of 5,000 people to accompany Malcolm Mussen Lamoh to the centre. An equal number from PKR will be led by Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim to accompany their candidate Jawah Gerang.

Whether this by-election in Batang Ai will be a straight fight or not will be known tomorrow. So far, two candidates have also expressed their interest to contest as independents

batang air state seat 240209 For BN and PKR, the by-election is an important affair. The ruling coalition will go all out to prove that it has not lost any support from the people, the Dayak community in particular.

On the other hand, PKR will launch a serious attempt to break into the predominantly Dayak area which will have significant implications in the next election.

Posters, banners up

Meanwhile, roads leading to Lubok Antu are literally lined up with PKR posters and banners, something not seen in the past.

The PKR candidate is also being assisted by thousands of DAP and PAS members from West Malaysia.

Khalid is expected to arrive in Lubok Antu this evening by road and will spend the night there.

Much of the campaining is taking place in longhouses either reachable by road or by river in this constituency.

jawah gerang malcolm mussen batang ai by election 280309 The main issue is that the Ibans feel that they have been marginalised under the Taib government especially in respect of their NCR land, something the BN campaigners will have to disapprove if they do not want lose the support of the Ibans.

For the past few days, Iban ministers have been announcing millions of ringgit worth of projects for the constituency.

Malaysiakini will be providing LIVE coverage of the nominations tomorrow beginning at 8.30am.