For the town's Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) branch leaders, last week could be described as nothing less than agonising.

It began with a press statement by some of the party's top leaders that it had nominated not one, but two names for consideration as the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for the upcoming Sibu parliamentary by-election.

All this while, they were made to understand that only one name was submitted to the party's Central Executive Committee (CEC) and Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, who is also state Barisan Nasional chairman, for endorsement.

Branch chairman Wong Soon Koh, who is also state minister of environment and public health, had risked jumping the gun when he publicily announced that only lawyer Robert Lau Hui Yew's name was submitted.

And a few days after the funeral of five-term incumbent Robert Lau Hoi Chew, who was deputy transport minister, earnest efforts were underway to introduce the younger Robert Lau, 45, to the Sibu populace as the successor to the late Sibu icon.

Thus, when other names cropped up, it was like throwing the spanner in the works, said a party official.

But now, the cheers and smiles are back.

Party president George Chan Hong Nam clarified yesterday that the second name was only a reserve. Thus, Robert Lau remains the only man for the Sibu by-election.

Time is a very precious commodity. Indeed, yesterday morning, the Sibu group and Robert Lau begun romancing the mainly Iban voters, visiting the first few of the 100-odd longhouses along the Batang Igan, a tributary of the Rajang river. There are two interior Melanau community villages, too.

They have always been the BN bastion. The combined registered voters of more than 17,000 (inclusive of a substantial number of rural Chinese) is something no politician worth his salt would take for granted, despite the assurance.

So far, the many walkabouts have given SUPP much hope.

"Generally, the people have been supportive of the younger Robert Lau, who is coincidentally, the late Robert Lau's second cousin and his preferred successor," said Andrew Shilling, the branch Bumiputera unit chairman.

He too, has his fair share of contributions to SUPP, the people of Sibu as a councillor of the Sibu Municipal Council and as an unsung education activist.

The people want someone whom they can bank on, in continuing with his legacies. The DAP, on the other hand, has yet to make its presence felt," added Shilling.

The Chinese hold sway in this constituency which, like the Hulu Selangor seat, comprises three BN-controlled state seats of the Nangka (mixed), Bawang Asan (Iban/Melanau majority with a substantial number of rural Chinese) and the Pelawan (predominantly Chinese).

The Sibu constituency according to the EC electoral roll until April 9 this year, has 54,695 voters, including 2,537 postal voters.

Of those who have registered, 5,740 are Malays (10.5 per cent), 36,389 Chinese (66.7 per cent), 54 Indians (0.1 per cent), 12,050 Ibans and other natives (22.1 per cent) and others.

Nomination is on May 8, followed by polling on May 16.

On the other side of the fence, DAP, which is representing the Pakatan Rakyat, is expected to announce its candidate here tomorrow.

It is widely believed that Pakatan would nominate DAP state chairman Wong Ho Leng, 48, a veteran politician and lawyer.

"Based on the outcome of the Hulu Selangor by-election, PR will want to field its strongest candidate. Wong is the person, without doubt, who can give the BN a run for its money," said a retired civil servant.

According to Wong, "like a true soldier, he would go to the battle (field) if directed by the general".

It goes without saying the by-election is very important for both SUPP and DAP, in view of the next state election.

- Bernama