There are no major surprises in Sarawak Barisan Nasional's line-up of 62 candidates, which includes 13 new faces, for the upcoming Sept 27 state elections.

Caretaker chief minister and Sarawak BN chief Abdul Taib Mahmud released the final list at about midnight in Sibu yesterday after a state dinner in honour of the Sarawak's head of state's official birthday.

The line-up includes Taib's last-minute decision to field Geman Itam, the Sarawak National Party (Snap) incumbent for the 'hot' Iban seat of Meluan, overruling the party's own choice of its general-secretary Justine Jinggut.

Of the new faces, five are from Taib's own Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB), one each from Snap and Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) and the rest from the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP).

Taib was originally scheduled to announce the final list today in the presence of visiting Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi. Questions have been raised as to why he decided to do it earlier and so late in the night in Sibu.

His decision not to accept Snap's central committee's decision to nominate Justine and to instead retain four-term assemblyman Geman was a big blow to the party president and outgoing state minister James Wong Kim Min as well as to Justine himself who had been preparing the ground for many months.

Wong and some of his men got wind of a possible last-minute change only three days ago when Taib decided to make a quick trip to Meluan where he was invited to declare open a new road, and where he also met local BN members.

There had also been reports that several Snap elected representatives had also written to Taib urging him to retain Geman, who had threatened to stand as an independent if he was not re-nominated.

Potential split

The latest development has the potential to drive a wedge within Snap's top leadership, with Wong's faction, clearly being sidelined in the choice of the party's candidate for Meluan, and another faction comprising most of the party's elected representatives who are intent on keeping Geman as candidate.

All Wong was prepared to say after the announcement was that he would make a public statement after the state elections.

He is the only incumbent who is not standing again in the state polls, having stepped aside in favour of his son Richard Wong in Limbang.

The BN list includes all predicted new names and Taib has described it as 'the best so far'.

Meanwhile, the opposition parties - Keadilan, PAS, Star, DAP and Abang Abu Bakar's group of independents - are expected to release the names of their candidates either one day before or on nomination day itself, Tuesday.