Sarawak Pakatan Rakyat had once proposed it would back state PKR chief Baru Bian as chief minister, should it wrest the state from BN.

This was decided during the first Sarawak Pakatan council meeting, state DAP chief Chong Chieng Jen said.

pkr supreme council meeting 0404010 wan azizah "We have made our stand very clear. We want Baru to be the CM (if we win)," Chong said after the launch of the Pakatan manifesto in Kuching this afternoon.

PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail ( right ) chimed in and said Baru was proposed because he is the state leader, but qualified that the party with the most seats, should a Pakatan government be formed, would appoint the chief minister.

Pressed further by reporters, Wan Azizah was clearly unsure, and it is understood that the chief ministership was never properly discussed during Pakatan planning sessions for the April 16 state election.

Baru is a veteran politician whose political roots go back to the now-defunct Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS), the defunct Malaysian Dayak Congress (MDC) and he had contested the 2006 election under the Sarawak National Party (Snap) banner.

He is well-known for his work in native customary rights (NCR) land disputes and is now contesting the rural seat of Ba'Kelalan in the eastern-most part of Sarawak, where he is widely tipped to win.

Meanwhile, PAS supreme council member Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin said the question of who becomes chief minister would be resolved amicably, as was done in Perak in March 2008.

NONE Although PAS was the minority party in the Pakatan state government then, Nizar was appointed menteri besar.

"For now, the question does not arise. Only when we are given the mandate will there be one of us who is capable to rule appointed to run the state.

"I think the question is not really important at this moment. I mean, I never thought I would become menteri besar in Perak," Nizar said.

Pakatan is contesting all 71 seats in this election, with PKR vying for 49, DAP 15 and PAS, five.

Baru kicks off Ba'Kelalan campaign on front foot