Opposition State Reform Party (Star) chief and former assistant state minister Dr Patau Rubis has announced he will be contesting in the Mas Gading parliamentary seat on a Sarawak National Party (Snap) ticket.

He told reporters at Star headquarters in Kuching this afternoon that Star and Snap have agreed to work together as one and that candidates from the parties will all contest under the Snap symbol.

patau rubis Dr Patau who had served for three terms as both state assemblyperson from 1983 to 1996 and member of Parliament from 1983 to 1999 said he had to throw the hats into the ring at the request of many supporters in the predominantly-Bidayuh constituency.

He will be taking on the BN incumbent from Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) Dr Tiki Lafe. Tiki is also deputy rural and regional development minister.Dr Patau claimed that Dr Tiki, a relative, has been retained as the BN candidate inspite of his unpopularity on the ground that a faction in his own party had wanted him replaced.

This will be the third contest the two Bidayuh doctors are squaring off with each other - the other two times in 1999 and 2004

Star, formed in October 1996, will only be fielding one candidate.

Dr Patau said the Star-Snap's election slogan is 'Fight for a better future for Sarawak’.

Five Snap candidates

Meanwhile, Snap will field five candidates, also in predominantly Dayak constituencies. The names and constituences will be announced by Snap president Edwin Dundang, its secretary-general Stanley Jugol told reporters at Star headquarters.

The five Snap candidates are all from Snap itself. It will not include anyone from the yet-to-to-registered Malaysian Dayak Congress(MDC).

Stanley said the Snap constituencies will possibly include Hulu Rajang in Belaga.

He said one of the election issues is land which affects many indigenous groups in Sarawak.

Meanwhile, Malaysiakini reliably learnt today that a former senior Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) leader and former deputy education minister Salleh Jafaruddin will be standing as an independent in the new parliamentary constituency of Sibuti against BN-PBB's AhmadLai Bujang.