Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud confirmed today that Sarawak state assemblyman for Telang Usan, Lihan Jok, has expressed his wish not to be re-nominated for the coming state elections.

Taib said he had received a letter recently from the two-term assemblyman of his intention not to contest in the Orang Ulu dominated constituency in the Baram district.

"I have already informed the Prime Minister (Najib Abdul Razak, about the matter). It will be up to the top (BN) leadership to decide," he told reporters in Miri after officiating a ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of a single carriageway link road for Pujut Interchange to Jalan Tudan/Kuala Baram.

Asked on the new face to replace Lihan, Taib said several names had been submitted and the candidate would be announced at the appropriate time.

Lihan, 54, a former headmaster of a primary school in Baram and from Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), first stood in the 2001 state election and won after defeating the then incumbent, Kebing Wan, who was an independent.

Lihan succeeded in defending the seat in the 2006 state election by defeating Kebing who contested as a Sarawak National Party (SNAP) candidate and an independent candidate, Lidam Janang.

Meanwhile, when speaking before the ground-breaking ceremony, Taib said the opposition had played no role at all to deliver development in Miri all these years.

He said the progress had been due to the good teamwork between the BN representatives, government departments and private sector who had worked together until Miri achieved city status in 2005.

- Bernama