Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud's Parti Pesaka Bumiputera (PBB) is also not spared from internal squabbles as the state elections draw closer.

The episode in PBB - the backbone of the state's Barisan Nasional (BN) ruling coalition - is focused on the Serdeng state constituency and incumbent Awang Asfia Awang Nassar.

The UK-trained lawyer ( left ) has been the target of a TV and internet campaign purportedly backed by a senior party leader to pressure PBB into dropping Awang as a candidate.

A TV3 news programme aired on Tuesday night portrayed Pulau Bruit in Serdeng as an area lacking in development. The locals interviewed pinned the blame on Awang, who is also the state assembly speaker.

On the same day, the Berita Harian Malay daily featured a report which described Pulau Bruit as ' mundur ' or backward.

The report quoted the islanders as saying that Awang, a three-term state assemblyperson, had reneged on his promises to bring development to the area.

Pulau Bruit is home to about 3,000 people, who are mostly farmers and fishermen.

New face wanted

On of the locals interviewed by the daily, fisherman Rapi Zaini, said the neighbouring constituency of Matu-Daro had seen tremendous progress under its assemblyperson Wahab Dolah.

Wahab, PBB's information chief, is also MP for Kuala Rajang (which covers the state seats of Matu-Daro, Serdeng and Belawai).

Serdeng has been renamed Semog after one of the villages in Pulau Bruit and includes some new areas.

Meanwhile, Rapi told the daily that local PBB members were fully behind BN but they wanted a new face to represent them.

Sources in the local PBB division told malaysiakini today that they might submit a memorandum to the party president to call for Awang to be replaced.

They were also mulling the possibility of publishing their views in an open letter to the newspapers.

Contacted latter, Awang said the blueprint for development in Pulau Bruit is ready.

"The development plans for Pulau Bruit are ready, the money is there and it is a question of implementation," he added.

The politician said he would issue a press statement and call for a press conference in due course.

Awang has been the state assemblyperson for the constituency since 1991.