Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is scheduled to lead members of Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties in a show of support for their candidate Robert Lau Hui Yew when he submits his nomination papers tomorrow in the Sibu parliamentary by-election.

Hui Yew, popularly known as Robert Lau Junior, will hand in his papers at the Sibu Civic Centre. The nomination period is for one hour from 9am, and then there will be an objection period of an hour, after which the candidates will be announced. Polling is on May 16.

Other BN leaders, among them Rural and Regional Development Minister Shafie Apdal; Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Noh Omar; Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and Deputy Information Communication and Culture Minister Joseph Salang already have packed programmes in the run-up to polling.

Lawyer Hui Yew, 45, is defending the predominantly Chinese urban seat following the death of deputy transport minister and five-term Sibu MP Robert Lau Hoi Chew on April 9.

Sarawak DAP chairman and Bukit Assek assemblyman Wong Ho Leng, 50, will most probably contest against Hui Yew, but it is unlikely that the by-election will be a straight fight as at least one independent is expected to join in the fray.

So far, five sets of nomination papers have been purchased from the Election Commission (EC) office, three of them by DAP representatives and one each by the BN and an independent candidate.

The Sarawak Meteorological Department has forecast fair weather, especially in the morning, which should auger well for a smooth nomination process.

The unprecedented influx of outsiders, such as party campaign workers, additional security reinforcement and media personnel, has also given the locals an economic boom judging from the full hotel occupancy and traffic congestion in this riverine town by the banks of the country's longest river, the Batang Rajang.

Sarawak police commissioner Mohmad Salleh has said 2,000 police personnel were being deployed for the by-election to monitor security and ensure order.

In the 2008 general election, Hoi Chew retained the Sibu seat with a 3,549-vote majority, beating Ho Leng and Lim Chin Chuang of PKR in a three-cornered fight.

Sibu has 54,695 voters, comprising 52,158 ordinary voters and 2,537 postal voters made up of 1,910 military and 627 police personnel.

According to the electoral roll, updated as of April 9 this year, Chinese voters make up almost 67 per cent of the total number of voters, followed by Malay/Melanau (10.5 per cent) and Sarawak bumiputeras (22 per cent).

Forty-five polling stations with 110 streams will be opened at 39 schools, two kindergartens and a training centre, a longhouse, a public library and a public recreational centre to facilitate polling.

- Bernama