There is nothing wrong for family members of business tycoons or wealthy timber merchants to contest in the coming Sarawak state election, BN’s direct candidate for Pelawan, Janet Lau, says.

Lau, a member of the family involved in the KTS Group, which holds timber and media interests, said they have a right to contest in the state election as well.

Some of the wealthy are great as they are willing to donate to charities and communities and even participate in community projects, she said when met at the Pelawan UPP (United People's Party) branch.

While some wealthy businessmen kept their profits to themselves and did nothing for the community, it was unfair of detractors to train their guns at all business groups, she opined.

The state government does not collude with businesses in Sarawak, she insisted.

"It is not right to kill these business merchants as tens of thousands may end up jobless if these businesses were put to a stop," she said.

Lau, the 69-year-old widow of former deputy transport minister Robert Lau, was announced by Sarawak BN chairperson Adenan Satem as the Pelawan candidate.

Her husband's nephew, Henry Lau, is the second generation boss of KTS Group, one of the ‘big six’ timber merchants once warned by Adenan that he would not tolerate corruption.

People have linked Lau to the KTS Group but she says it’s not true. She told Malaysiakini later through communication by phone, "Yes, I am a member of the Lau family, but I am not part of the KTS Group."

UPP member Tiong Thai King ( on the left ), whose brother founded the Rimbunan Hijau Group, will stand in Dudong for the second time.

Hotel tycoon Hii King Chiong, who runs the Kingwood Hotel Group, will be fielded in Pujut, a seat in Miri.

Other candidates from the big business are Pau Chiong Urn and Huang Tiong Hii, who will contest in Tanjung Batu and Repok respectively.

This has raised concerns of politics and business overlapping among the opposition, as well as among political commentators.

In his Facebook posting last week, DAP incumbent lawmaker Yap Hoi Liong said the influence of big money and corporate lobbying was obviously still very much alive in Sarawak politics.

Yap pointed out that three of these tycoons spoke the Foochow dialect and are in the timber business.

The event Janet Lau attended saw a total of 175 families receiving RM500 to RM3,000 in donations from UPP's education funds.

UPP chief Wong Soon Koh, who was also present, said the fund has accumulated to a sum of RM33 million.

"This is a huge sum. We will continue to distribute if Janet Lau wins," Wong told the crowd at Pelawan UPP branch.

He denied that move has anything to do with state election as it was an ongoing and continuous effort since 2015 and that UPP has distributed funds to the people more than 10 times.

UPP gave RM500 to primary school pupils from poor families, while RM1,000 was given to secondary school students. Sums of RM2,000 and RM3,000 were given to college and university students, according to Wong.

The party raised the education fund from the business elite, said Wong, who is also the BN direct candidate for the Bawang Assan seat.