newsflash

Barisan Nasional has failed to retain the predominantly Iban seat of Meluan, losing to the sole Independent candidate.

Wong Judat, a successful Iban businessman, defeated the BN incumbent Geman Itam by a majority of 2,158 votes.

Meluan, a constituency in central Sarawak, has a total of 9,943 registered voters.

The result is a slap on the face of caretaker chief minister Abdul Taib Mahmud who had chosen Geman over Sarawak National Party's (Snap) own choice, its secretary-general Justine Jinggut.

[More reports to follow]