The contest for the Sibu P.212 seat looks like to be a three-cornered fight for now.

Returning Officer Wong See Meng told reporters in Sibu today that two sets of nomination papers have so far been taken for the parliamentary by-election.

NONE "The Barisan Nasional candidate, Robert Lau Hui Yew ( left ) from the Sarawak United people's Party (SUPP) has sent his representative to take one set while an independent candidate has taken one.

"The DAP candidate Wong Ho Leng who has been picked by the Pakatan Rakyat Sarawak to contest has yet to come to my office for his set," he said.

Wong had earlier joined the Election Commission deputy chairperson Wan Ahmad Wan Omar to brief election officers, polling clerks and others involved.

The by-election, the 11th since the March 2008 general elections, is being held following the death of the constituency's five-term incumbent Robert Lau Hoi Chew on April 9 in Kuala Lumpur due to liver cancer.

NONE Meanwhile, Wong said there would be a total of 45 polling stations, of which, the smallest would be the SJK(C) Kai Nang, downstream the Rajang River in Ensurai with 143 registered voters.

"The biggest is at the Tadika Taman Rajang near here with some 3,484 registered voters. The furthest is the SK Sungai Rasau, on the Igan River, about one and a half hour journey by longboat with its about 300 registered voters,"he said.

Wong said both the nomination and the tally centre would be at the Sibu Civic Centre (Dewan Suarah Sibu).

The seat has some 54,695 registered voters including 2,537 postal voters.

They include 5,740 Malays (10.5 per cent), 36,389 Chinese (66.7 per cent), 12,050 Ibans (22.1 per cent), 54 Indians (0.01 per cent) and 289 others (0.53 per cent).

- Bernama