All eyes are now focused on five of the remaining 22 contested parliamentary seats in Sarawak as election campaign must stop by midnight ahead of tomorrow's polling.

The seats are Bandar Kuching, Petra Jaya, Mas Gading, Lubok Antu and Bintulu. Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders and their supporters are said to be working overtime in these areas after conceding that they are 'black' constituencies to them.

Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) president Dr George Chan ( right ) is said to have privately admitted that he is worried about Bandar Kuching where newcomer businessman Wee Kok Tiong is engaged in a straight fight with DAP's Chong Chien Jen, a lawyer.

"The outcome is becoming increasingly difficult to predict," said a senior Chinese newspaper editor who follows the campaign on the ground closely.

Last night, SUPP leaders went to the ground with a last-minute direct appeal to the Henghua community for them to give their block vote amid reports that they have not been happy with the party over the selection of the candidate.

Observers give Wee, a former senator and son of the late well-known Chinese businessman Wee Boon Ping, a slight lead.

Taib's visits

Another area is Mas Gading where State Reform Party (Star) president Dr Patau Rubis, standing on a Snap ticket, is trying to unseat BN-SPDP's Dr Tiki Lafe, who is deputy minister of national unity and family development.

Amid reports that Patau is leading towards the end of the campaign period, Chief Minister and state BN chairperson Abdul Taib Mahmud has made two visits within three days to the area, with one scheduled this afternoon to Lundu.

In Lubok Antu, the BN incumbent Jawah Gerang is said to be facing stiff challenge from the independent William Nyalau, who is reportedly being backed by some state BN leaders.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat's (Keadilan) sole candidate in Sarawak Wan Zainal Abidin Wan Senusi's confidence has of late been buoyed by crowd response, door-to-door campaigning and "many SMS received from BN workers pledging support for him" in Petra Jaya.

He is facing BN's Fadillah Yusop, who has made last-minute campaign in the company of Abdul Taib ( right ) and other BN leaders, including laying the ground breaking ceremony of a new mosque in a Malay kampung in the constituency.

Keadilan's campaign has been focused mainly on Taib's leadership style, allegations of corruption, nepotism and cronyism.

While the Keadilan camp has expressed confidence of winning this time, their opponents say the BN should have no problem in overcoming the challenge, saying the Malays would not want to take risks and vote for the opposition.

SPDP the nemesis

In Bintulu, DAP's Chiew Chin Sing is said to have a chance of avenging his defeat in 1999 at the hands of BN's Tiong King Sing. Other than the traditional support for opposition and votes from his many admirers across the racial spectrum, he may benefit from Snap also contesting.

Observers said the many old Snap supporters may still stick to their party, and view SPDP of which Tiong is treasurer-general as the nemesis rather than DAP.

In the other far-flung corner of northern Sarawak, another BN/SPDP candidate Jacob Sagan is defending his Baram seat against another Snap challenger Kebing Wan, who is well-known in Baram and has served once as an independent state assemblyperson for Telang Usan, which is part of Baram.

Ratings are at 50:50 but a BN man said on Wednesday that "Jacob is now leading and should win quite comfortably."