NINE QUESTIONS FOR SARAWAK REPORT: BREAKING / SARAWAK CM HINTS AT ELECTIONS

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2. RELATED: PBB TO FIELD 10 NEW FACES
3. RELATED: ADENAN HINTS AT SARAWAK ELECTIONS SOON
4. RELATED: TOUGH ROAD AHEAD FOR OPPOSITION IN SARAWAK STATE ELECTION, SAYS PKR STATE CHIEF

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PBB TO FIELD 10 NEW FACES IN UPCOMING SARAWAK ELECTION
"You can choose to believe in rumours or you don't believe in that, but this is coming from the horse's mouth." – CM Tan Sri (Dr.) Adenan Haji Satem

REPORTED BY MALAYSIAN DIGEST

KUCHING, December 7, 2015–

Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) would be fielding 10 new faces in the coming state election, said its president Tan Sri Adenan Satem.

"Out of the 40 seats that PBB will probably be contesting, there may be 10 new faces, five for the new seats and of course there are those (incumbents) who have indicated their desire to retire," said the Sarawak Chief Minister, who is also the state Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman.

Adenan was speaking to reporters after chairing the PBB Supreme Council meeting here Sunday.

On the 11 new seats, Adenan said PBB could have more than five seats based on its big number of members and support, but had decided to allow the other component parties to also have their share.

He hinted that the state election is just around the corner when he clearly mentioned that the state assembly sitting from Monday would be the last sitting before the election.

When pressed on the date of the state election and told that speculation was rife that it would be held in March next year, he said: "You can choose to believe in rumours or you don't believe in that, but this is coming from the horse's mouth."

He said the current state assembly's term would automatically lapse come June 20, next year and the election must be called before that date.

On the four-party crisis – Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) and United People's Party (UPP), Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) and Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (Teras), the chief minister said the issue would be resolved one way or another before the nomination day.

Meanwhile, Adenan thanked those members of Parliament who voted in favour of increasing the number of seats in the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly.

"This will ensure better representation for people in the rural areas and easier for development to be brought to them as Sarawak is the biggest state in the whole federation.

"And we deserve to have more seats than the other states, not only in terms of population, distances and accessibility," he said.

He said the PBB Supreme Council meeting on Sunday had discussed the preparation in facing the coming state election and to draw up a chart responsibility for several senior members of the party.

"We set up 12 committees altogether to run the election campaign for PBB and it will be headed by Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg and several other senior members of the party," he added.

Adenan also said the BN pre-council meeting he chaired this morning discussed the motions which the opposition would be trying to introduce during the state assembly sitting starting Monday.

"We have a few surprises for them (opposition) which they might not anticipate. There will be no other that the supply bill which will be debated this time around," he said.

('PBB To Field 10 New Faces In Upcoming Sarawak Election.' – Malaysian Digest, December 7, 2015)

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1. PBB TO FIELD 10 NEW FACES IN UPCOMING SARAWAK ELECTION
2.
3. RELATED: ADENAN HINTS AT SARAWAK ELECTIONS SOON

4. RELATED: TOUGH ROAD AHEAD FOR OPPOSITION IN SARAWAK STATE ELECTION, SAYS PKR STATE CHIEF

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RELATED: PBB TO FIELD 10 NEW FACES

“We have set up about 12 committees to run the state election for PBB and these will be headed by the party’s deputy presidents (Deputy Chief Minister) Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu and (Housing Minister) Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg as well as other senior members.” – CM Tan Sri Datuk Patinggi (Dr.) Adenan Haji Satem

REPORTED BY THE BORNEO POST

KUCHING, December 7, 2015–

PBB will field 10 new faces in some of the 40 constituencies it will contest in the next state election.

Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem, who is party president, revealed that five of the new candidates would stand in five of 11 new state constituencies, which were approved in the recent parliamentary sitting.

“Of the 40 seats we are contesting in, there will be 10 new faces. Five of them will be contesting in the new seats whereas the remaining five will be fielded to replace incumbents who have indicated their desire to retire,” he told a press conference after chairing the party’s supreme council meeting at its headquarters here yesterday.

However when asked whether PBB had identified the new seats that it would contest in, Adenan said the decision had not been finalised.

“Put it this way — we can claim more seats from the new 11 because of our membership and support. However, we will also let other parties have some of the new seats. We have not yet chosen which seat (to stand in) but from the facts and figures of the new constituencies, it is obvious that some cannot but go to PBB,” he remarked.

The new constituencies approved during the parliamentary sitting are Batu Kitang, Stakan, Serembu, Bukit Semuja, Gedong, Kabong, Tellian, Bukit Goram, Murum, Samalaju and Mulu. Adenan also noted that from the meeting, the party had come up with a chart of responsibilities for various PBB senior members.

“We have set up about 12 committees to run the state election for PBB and these will be headed by the party’s deputy presidents (Deputy Chief Minister) Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu and (Housing Minister) Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg as well as other senior members.”

On when the highly-anticipated state election would be held, Adenan provided yet again a vague answer, stating that the election "must be called before the ‘DUN (State Legislative Assembly) automatically lapses on June 20 next year".

“Unless of course, if you let the Dewan lapse by itself,” he quipped. However when told that rumours were running wild that the election would be held in March next year, he simply said: “You can believe the rumours, or you can choose not to believe. But this is coming from the horse’s mouth.”

Adenan also expressed confidence that before nomination day, the tussle between United People’s Party (UPP) and SUPP, as well as Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (Teras) and SPDP, would be resolved. He also touched on the DUN sitting, which commences today, hinting that it might be the ‘last sitting of the Dewan before the state election’.

“With regard to the motions which the opposition is trying to introduce, we have a few surprises for them which they might not have anticipated,” Adenan said.

Meanwhile, PBB secretary-general Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi said the fielding of new faces was ‘quite normal’ for the party.

“Every time we have a big number, at least 30 per cent of our candidates would be new faces. Similarly, this time around (it) is also 30 per cent, so I believe we are practising the same thing,” he told reporters when met after the press conference. Pressed on the finalisation of the new seats for the party, Dr Rundi said he knew which of the new seats PBB would contest in.

“Of course, I cannot disclose this because only the chief minister can.” On the incumbents wanting to step down and give way to the new faces, Dr Rundi revealed that Adenan had not finalised the list.

“He’s trying to persuade some of them and if he could get a good candidate (to contest), maybe we can proceed. Nevertheless, very soon, it will all be revealed.” The press conference was attended by Jabu, Abang Johari and DUN Speaker Datuk Amar Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar.

('PBB to field 10 new faces.' – The Borneo Post, December 7, 2015)

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1. PBB TO FIELD 10 NEW FACES IN UPCOMING SARAWAK ELECTION
2. RELATED: PBB TO FIELD 10 NEW FACES

3.

4. RELATED: TOUGH ROAD AHEAD FOR OPPOSITION IN SARAWAK STATE ELECTION, SAYS PKR STATE CHIEF

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RELATED: ADENAN HINTS OF SARAWAK ELECTIONS SOON

REPORTED BY FREE MALAYSIA TODAY

KUCHING, December 7, 2015–

Sarawak chief minister Adenan Satem has hinted of state elections within the coming months, possibly by March, saying that the state assembly sitting beginning tomorrow would be the last one before the elections.

The state assembly’s term expires in June next year.

Adenan, who is president of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu, said there might be 10 new candidates to be fielded by his party, five of whom would contest in the 11 new constituencies created by the Election Commission.

"PBB will probably be contesting in 40 seats; there may be 10 new faces, five for the new seats and of course there are those (incumbents) who have indicated their desire to retire,” he said after chairing a PBB Supreme Council meeting today.

He said PBB might contest more than five of the new seats, based on its large membership and support, but had decided to share them with other component parties of the state Barisan Nasional.

Adenan said a coalition dispute between the Sarawak United People’s Party, United People’s Party, Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party and Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak would be resolved before nomination day.

When pressed on the date of the state elections, and told about speculation that it would be held in March, Adenan said: “You can choose to believe in rumours or you don’t believe in that, but this is coming from the horse’s mouth”, Bernama reported.

He said the PBB Supreme Council had discussed preparations for the elections and allocated responsibilities to several senior members. Twelve committees had been set up to run the PBB election campaign, headed by Alfred Jabu, Abang Johari Tun Openg and several others.

Adenan also chaired a pre-council meeting of the Barisan Nasional ahead of tomorrow’s assembly sitting, which discussed opposition motions expected to be introduced for debate in the state legislature.

“We have a few surprises for them (opposition) which they might not anticipate,” he said. The sole order of business was the Supply Bill, he said.

Adenan thanked members of Parliament who had voted in favour of increasing the number of seats in the state legislature.

“This will ensure better representation for people in the rural areas and easier for development to be brought to them as Sarawak is the biggest state in the whole federation. And we deserve to have more seats than the other states, not only in terms of population, distances and accessibility,” he said, Bernama reported.

('Adenan hints of Sarawak elections soon.' – Free Malaysia Today, December 7, 2015)

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1. PBB TO FIELD 10 NEW FACES IN UPCOMING SARAWAK ELECTION

2. RELATED: PBB TO FIELD 10 NEW FACES
3. RELATED: ADENAN HINTS AT SARAWAK ELECTIONS SOON
4.
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RELATED: TOUGH ROAD AHEAD FOR OPPOSITION IN SARAWAK STATE ELECTION, SAYS STATE PKR CHIEF

REPORTED BY THE NEW STRAITS TIMES

SHAH ALAM, November 27, 2015–

A Sarawak PKR leader has admitted that the upcoming Sarawak state election will be an uphill battle for the opposition.

Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian said among others, Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem’s “massive” popularity was a big problem for PKR and its allies.

“The chief minister is very popular in his state. The reports we received say that 75 per cent of Sarawakians support him. So, that is a big problem for us,” Baru said in his closing speech during PKR’s 11th national congress here today.

Baru, however, said he believed the opposition would be able to overcome this challenge by pointing out Adenan’s “weak points”.

“For example, there are many issues he can't resolve. These include matters relating to education, health, and the judiciary.

“There are also other areas where the chief minister is powerless. Much of them are under the purview of the Federal government," he said.

On the dispute between PKR and DAP over the seat allocation for the Sarawak state election, Baru said discussions between the two parties broke down after DAP accused PKR of not having a stand on the ‘hudud’ issue.

“That was a big problem for us. But now that there is Pakatan Harapan, we have already written to DAP and Amanah to ask if we can return to the discussion table.

“So far, there is good development and Sarawak PKR is confident that the contests in Sarawak would be straight fights between the opposition parties and Barisan Nasional,” Baru said.

This follows concerns that the prospect of opposition parties contesting against each other and BN in Sarawak would cause their chances of winning to slide, especially given the popularity of its chief minister.

Eighty-two seats are up for grabs in Sarawak, and DAP and PKR have overlapping claims, especially in smaller towns and Dayak-majority areas where both parties have established a presence.

DAP’s demand to field candidates in 30 seats in Sarawak has raised fears among the people that the party intends to stand in areas contested by PKR in the 2011 Sarawak state election.