Standing shoulder to shoulder in a square near Paramount Hotel in Sibu, thousands of people were transfixed on DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng as he delivered salvo after salvo against the BN.

NONE It was a cool Saturday night at the ceramah , but temperatures were rising fast among the 5,000 predominantly Chinese crowd which came to hear him speak.

Lim kicked off his speech in a smattering of Hokkien, Bahasa Malaysia and English, but he moved into top gear when he switched to Mandarin.

Leaving no stone unturned, he hit out at everything from the perennial issue of floods as well the cost of toll at the 1.5km Lanang Bridge, the artery connecting Sibu to Sarikei and Kuching, where it costs RM10 two-way in toll charges.

He also took potshots at Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud over his recent marriage to former Lebanese air stewardess 44 years his junior.

NONE "This person has just got married, now he walks like he is on springs," said Lim to a roar of laughter and knowing smirks.

Though he spoke in an area which is technically inside the state constituency of Nangka which DAP is not contesting, it is the party's hope that the message will reverberate in the surrounding seats of Sibu, where it battles the state's second-largest BN component party - Sarawak United Peoples Party (SUPP).

Meanwhile, just 5km down the road, a familiar set-up was taking place at a square in front of some shoplots in Jalan Pedada. SUPP publicity chief Daniel Ngieng attempted to keep the crowd of 250 entertained with threats of the 'Islamic state' if a vote is cast for DAP come polling day.

If the attendance translates to votes, then SUPP could be bracing for a massive thrashing when it comes to urban Chinese votes.

But crowd size alone will not determine the election outcome - there are other factors, from the candidate's likeability, the party's track record, national issues and right down to the weather during polling day.

And with the Sibu by-election last May which DAP won with a 398-vote majority, party leaders are hoping that this could be the start of a momentum for change in the third largest city in Sarawak.

Anti-Taib sentiment among Chinese voters

Many have dubbed the state elections in Sibu as "the battle of the Wongs". Sarawak DAP chief Wong Ho Leng - who won the Sibu by-election - is leading charge against state minister Wong Soon Koh from SUPP.

azlan It would be considered a moral victory if SUPP holds on to its four seats in Sibu against a determined challenge from DAP, aided by the strong anti-Taib sentiments among the Chinese.

Whether it is because they feel that Taib has overstayed his term in office after being chief minister for 30 years or the uneasiness over allegations of corruption and cronyism, it is undeniable that DAP is finding resonance among the urban Chinese voters.

And unfortunately for SUPP, these urbanites are centred in two state seats in Sibu - Bukit Assek and Pelawan, both with a 94.9% and 90.8% Chinese voters respectively.

NONE SUPP plays the underdog in Bukit Assek as Ho Leng (left ) won the Bukit Assek in 2006 with a whopping 4,751-vote majority, and this was followed by his victory in the Sibu parliamentary by-election less than a year ago.

Though it is said that Bukit Assek is afflicted by the 'pendulum curse', with very few state representatives retaining their seats for more than one term, lawyer Ho Leng will not lose too much sleep over it.

In the other corner is SUPP's Chieng Buong Toon, a hardworking Sibu councillor who wears the nickname of 'YB Longkang' with pride. He distributed booklets introducing himself containing no fewer than eight photographs of him hovering over drains.

Independent candidate Hii Tiong Huat is also joining the fray in Bukit Assek. A social activist who on nomination day appeared with a T-shirt with his bank account number emblazoned on the front, he is expected to lose his deposit.

But while some seasoned reporters have noted that Ho Leng carries with him the bigger-than-life persona of DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang, the same cannot be said for the party candidate in Pelawan .

Wong Kee Woan, one of the more hardworking individuals in Sarawak DAP, is facing an image problem - though extremely amiable as the state party publicity chief, he may not be able to shake off the 'recycled candidate' tag having stood unsuccessfully in other state seats in the past few elections.

NONE However, with SUPP's incumbent Goh Chun Siong ( right ) winning the seat in 2006 with a tissue-thin majority of 263 and the constituency returning a 5,600 majority to DAP during the Sibu by-election, it is likely that Kee Woan may finally see luck on his side.

The Repok consituency which houses the entire town of Sarikei may also see DAP snatching the seat from seven-term SUPP assemblyperson David Teng Lung Chi.

T NONE hough Teng is a familiar name in the area, large turnouts at recent DAP ceramah may signify an end to his extensive reign. The numbers have also shown that Teng's majority has been steadily falling since the 2001 state elections when he won with a 5,769-vote majority against DAP's Dr Wong Hua Seh.

In 2006, Teng could only garner a majority of 576 votes while the 2008 general election saw the DAP candidate for the Sarikei parliamentary seat losing by only 51 votes in a nail-biting five-cornered fight.

Both Teng and Hua Seh meet again this time and if truly the ‘winds of change' are also blowing in the direction of Repok as tweeted by DAP strategist Liew Chin Tong, Teng may see an end to his long political career.

Handsome man vs pretty girl

NONE Up north, Bawang Assan sees SUPP strongman Wong Soon Koh pitting himself against political novice Alice Lau from DAP.

Before the 2008 tsunami, it would have been a walkover for Soon Koh. But things have change and Lau, a spunky pharmacist, has pedigree on her side.

Her father, Lau Cheng Kiong is the chairperson of BN component party Pelawan Sarawak Progressive Development Party (SPDP) and a well-respect community leader.

While the Lau name may bring her a few brownie points, DAP has cleverly marketed her as one of the young dynamic women challenging SUPP's stable of elderly men.

The differences are glaring with the average age of DAP candidates at 39 against SUPP's 57. There are also not a single female candidate in the SUPP line-up, while DAP is fielding four.

NONE However, Soon Koh ( left in photo ), a veteran politician, is taking the challenge in his stride.

When asked about contesting against a sweet young thing, he retorted, "I'm handsome too. And I am young at heart."

But it is an uphill task for Lau to pull off an upset as Bawang Assan has 34.84% Iban voters and an almost impenetrable BN fortress of Iban longhouses.

Meanwhile, nearby Meradong faces a slightly different situation - here DAP's Ting Tze Fui is defending her seat against Ling Kie King of SUPP.

NONE Ting victory in 2006 was due in part to the bitter infighting in SUPP. Lightning may strike twice in the same place, as reports have surfaced that the warring factions have yet to close ranks.

Though Ting's contender has to battle off perceptions that his candidature was parachuted in to appease the factions, she too has her own baggage to deal with.

Ting was just 24 years old and in the midst of her law studies when she surprisingly won the seat five years ago. This meant that a good portion of her term as assemblyperson was split between her studies in Kuala Lumpur and serving her constituency, making this campaign fodder for SUPP.

Meradong has a sizable non-Chinese electorate - 34.9% Iban and 13.7% Melanau - and it is with these communities that huge funding is needed either for logistics or as handouts.

Ling is doing better in that department as he is getting some extra help, with speculation abounding that logging tycoons from Miri are providing him with financial backing.

DAP leaders including Lim have repeatedly tweeted that Ting is in 'danger' of losing her seat in an attempt to drum up sympathy for her.

Better prospects for SUPP in Sibu's outskirts

While the urban areas of Sibu could prove to be a stumbling block for SUPP, the situation appears brighter in the city's outskirts and in smaller towns nearby.

For instance, the Dudong state seat has a significant portion of the Chinese population living outside of town as farmers.

NONE Still steeped in the strong culture of patronage, it would almost be natural for them to support SUPP's Tiong Thai King ( left ), the Lanang MP and Sibu Municipal Council chairperson.

Tiong, whose brother is logging tycoon Hiew King, can count on the support of Rimbunan Hijau employees at the headquarters based in the area.

In addition, the 36.9% Iban voters in Dudong will be an advantage for the BN campaign.

Though stuck in a three-cornered fight with DAP's Yap Hoi Liong and Independent candidate Apandi Abdul Rani, as well as facing the brunt of popular SUPP assemblyperson Dr Soon Choon Teck's supporters, Thai King will probably have not much to worry about.

It will also be a difficult task for the opposition to wrest the only seat in Sibu with a clear Malays-Melanau majority (53.55%), Nangka , long considered a stronghold of PBB.

Won by state assembly deputy speaker Awang Bemee Awang Ali Basah in 2006, it was said that his lack of service to the constituents earned him the boot from Taib, who subsequently replaced him with newcomer and cardiologist Annuar Rapa'ee.

NONE Standing against him however is fellow political rookie and oil-and-gas engineer Norisham Mohamed Ali ( left ) from PKR, a baby-faced 29-year-old with newfound oratorical flair.

While the area has not been held by an opposition party in recent times, PKR workers are claiming that they are gaining grounds, especially when much of the heavily-populated areas in Nangka, which is close to the town centre.

However, with the Melanau generally having a close affinity with Taib, and the fact that Iban voters - another vote bank for BN - make up 18.8% percent, it appears that Nangka may remain in PBB's hands.

S'wak: The choice has never been clearer