GE14 | Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian is joining the battle for the parliamentary seat of Selangau, which is seeing political upheaval due to BN infighting.

Last Sunday, Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) sacked its deputy president and three-term Selangau MP Joseph Entulu Belaun.

The move was seen as PRS president James Jemut Masing pre-empting BN from nominating Belaun, who may now contest the seat as an independent in the 14th general election.

In the 2013 general election, Belaun won Selangau with 12,040 votes, while the Sarawak Workers' Party and PKR polled 4,485 votes and 3,891 votes respectively.

Baru's candidacy in Selangau was announced in Kuching today, together with 14 other PKR candidates.

He previously contested in the parliamentary seat of Limbang, where he was trounced by PBB by 8,301 votes. Baru is also the state assemblyperson for Ba'Kelalan.

Ali Biju, a PKR state assemblyperson who won Krian in the 2016 state election, will contest in the parliamentary seat of Saratok. Krian is one of three state seats within the constituency.

Saratok is also racked by infighting, with the seat's incumbent William Mawan Ikom now without a party after losing a power struggle in the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP). Ikom has not been nominated by BN.

Ali lost Saratok by a 2,081-vote majority in the last general election.

PKR's Roland Engan, who narrowly lost Baram by a razor-thin 194 votes in the 2013 general election, will give the parliamentary constituency a second shot.

Meanwhile, PKR has decided to retain Dr Michael Teo Yu Keng in Miri, the party's sole MP in Sarawak. He won the parliamentary seat by a 1,992-vote majority in the last general election.

Teo is himself dogged by controversy, with local DAP members recently making a claim for his seat after accusing him of being a non-performing MP.

However, Sarawak DAP chief Chong Chieng Jen later intervened and asked them to respect its Pakatan Harapan partner’s choice of candidate.

The complete list of PKR candidates for Sarawak is as follows:

Petra Jaya - Nor Irwan Ahmad Nor

Puncak Borneo - Willie Mongin

Sri Aman - Norina Umoi Utot

Lubok Antu - Nicholas Bawin

Betong - Noel Bucking

Saratok - Ali Biju

Kanowit - Satu Ak Anchom

Mukah - Abdul Jalil Bujang

Selangau - Baru Bian

Hulu Rajang - Abun Sui Anyit

Sibuti - Jemat Panjang

Miri - Dr Micheal Teo

Baram - Roland Engan

Limbang - Dr Ricardo Baba

Lawas - Danny Piri