DAP is fielding three new faces in the Kuching and Sri Aman divisions while maintaining two incumbents Chong Chien Jien and Violet Yong in the Kota Sentosa and Pending seats respectively.

The three new candidates are Wong King Wei who will be fielded in Padungan, Christina Chiew in Batu Kawah and Leon Jimat Donald in Simanggang, party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng told a press conference in Kuching today.

Wong, 31, is a lawyer by profession and has served as a special assistant to Chong while Chiew, 27, is assistant to Yong.

Leon Jimat is Sri Aman branch chairman and son of former Sri Aman member of parliament, Jimmy Donald.

Guan Eng will announce the names of DAP's 10 other candidates for the April 16 Sarawak state election in Sibu tomorrow.   

Meanwhile, BN is set to put up more than 15 new faces for the Sarawak election, according to party insiders.

Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, who is the State BN chairperson, will announce the list tomorrow.

The sources said that more than 10 of them are expected to come from Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu, which has been allocated 35 of the 71 state seats.

The Sarawak United People's Party is expected to enlist new faces for five of their 19 seats while Parti Rakyat Sarawak is expected to have at least one newcomer among its nine candidates.

The Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party is expected to have only one first-timer among its eight contestants.

Fresh faces in PBB

In the last 2006 elections, BN lined up 18 new faces. Several incumbents in PBB have stated their decision to give way to new faces.

PBB is said to have lined up new candidates with professional backgrounds, like Kedup branch information chief and lawyer Bernard Phillip, who is son of a former minister Michael Ben.  

It is still uncertain whether Sarawak state assembly speaker who is also state assemblyman for Semop Mohd Asfia Awang will contest although the talk is that he will be replaced.

Should he be dropped, the seat may be contested by businessman Dollah Saidol or Universiti Darul Iman Terengganu lecturer Mohammad Hailmi Sajili.

Telang Usan PBB Youth chief Dennis Ngau and the chief minister's political secretary, Robert Laing Anyie, are said to be in the running for the Telang Usan seat while the chief  minister's former political secretary, Robertson Mawa, is tipped to be the candidate for Katibas, replacing Ambrose Blikau.

Larry Sng likely to be dropped

Sarawak mufti Kipli Yassin and Sarawak Forestry Corporation managing director and chief executive officer Len Talif Salleh are being considered for Belawai.

The Lingga seat may be contested by a political secretary of the chief minister, Lt Col (Rtd) Awangku Jamuddin Pangiran Kon.

There are five potential candidates for Beting Maro. They include Director of Malaysian Fisheries Development Authorities Razali Ghapor.

There is a big possibility that Sarawak Common Facilities Managing Director Abang Jemat Abang Bujang, will carry the flag for PBB in Saribas while PBB Demak Jaya Deputy Chief Dr Hazlan Hipni is expected to be the new flag bearer for PBB in Demak Laut.       

As for SUPP, the five new faces are cardiologist Dr Sim Kui Hian for Pending, Youth chief Sih Hua Tong for Batu Lintang, Sim Kiang Chiok for Padungan, Chieng Buong Toon for Bukit Assek and Hendry Ling for Kidurong.

The PRS debutant is Stanley Unja for Pelagus.

Pelagus incumbent Larry Sng, who is assistant miister in the Chief Minister's Office, was sacked from PRS.

- Bernama

PAS seeks to win first Sarawak seat