In what is seen as the waning of influence of Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu Sarawak (PBB) deputy president Abang Johari Tun Openg, the candidate linked to his camp was trounced for the post of Youth vice chairman (for Bidayuh community) in party polls over the weekend.

The candidate and incumbent Martin Ben lost to Munded Banat in a straight fight. Ben is a MBA graduate and a businessman, the son of former state assemblyperson and former assistant state minister Michael Ben, also the Walikota of Kota Samarahan

Johari, who is Sarawak Tourism Minister, said Ben's defeat was solely due to "local issues", referring to divergent views on certain personalities within Bidayuh politics.

Ben secured only 80 votes against the 136 obtained by Munded, who is said to have strong backing from PBB vice president and Assistant Minister Michael Manyin.

Sources of support

The nominations received by Munded, a bank officer and a former Youth exco member, is perhaps indicative of the source of support — some of the more influential divisions were behind his candidacy.

Among the youth divisions that endorsed Ben as candidate were Asajaya, Tebedu, Layar, Kakus and Lawas. These divisions are identified with some of PBB's top leaders.

They include the other PBB deputy president and Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu, PBB treasurer and Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister's Office Awang Tengah Ali Hassan and state assemblyperson for Asajaya Abdul Karim Abdul Hamzah.

Ben is the Youth chief in Kedup state constituency, where the assemblyperson is Frederick Bayoi, a former government information officer before he joined politics. Bayoi is one of the longest-serving elected representatives from the Bidayuh community.

Certain groups had proposed changing the candidate for the Kedup state seat in last year's state elections, but PBB president Abdul Taib Mahmud, who is also Sarawak Chief Minister, decided to retain Bayoi..

Following the Youth elections, Ben told The Borneo Post , a local English-language daily, that he respected the delegates' decision. He told malaysiakini later that he would concentrate on his work as Kedup Youth chief to assist Bayoi.

He added that he was not inclined to accept any appointment to the Youth exco even if offered a seat, as "I want to concentrate more on the division".

Eye on 2005 elections

The results of the eight Youth exco posts reserved for the Bumiputra (Malay/Melanau wing) were seen to reflect the realignment in PBB Youth, and the growing influence within PBB itself of the faction supporting senior vice president and Minister of Agriculture and Food Industries Adenan Satem.

This camp has an eye on the 2005 party elections which could determine who would lead the party should Taib decide to stand down.

According to insiders, only three of the eight candidates said to be identified with Abang Johari's group managed to get themselves elected.

They were Ahmad Dikoh, Sulaiman Zainuddin and Abang Morni Datuk Abang Zainuddin. One supporter claimed that two more candidates elected were regarded as "their men". Others, however, described the two as "not aligned to any group".

The sources said one of the main factors behind the defeat of the candidates was the frustration of "quite a number of Youth divisions" over the withdrawal of Ibrahim Baki, a former Youth vice chairman, from contesting the No 2 Youth post.

It was won unopposed by Asajaya state assemblyperson Abdul Karim, seen as a rising star of PBB. A lawyer by training and a political secretary to the Chief Minister, he is closely identified with both Adenan and Awang Tengah.

All seven candidates for the PBB Youth exco posts reserved for the Pesaka wing (Iban/Bidayuh/Orang Ulu) in PBB Youth were returned unopposed.

Elections will be held on Tuesday for the 11 PBB supreme council posts reserved for Bumiputra and nine for Pesaka. Indications are of a similar trend supporting the pro-Adenan group.