Sarawak polls bloopers: Family feud, lack of cash, MIA candidate

S'WAK POLLS Yesterday's nominations for the Sarawak state election was chaotic and dramatic, with more that 40 seats seeing multi-cornered fights, and a plethora of candidates disqualified for lack of cash deposits, inexplicable absence and at least one who had been declared bankrupt.

Some seats saw clashes between family members and friends, while some candidates went the other way, consorting with once enemies by subscribing to the political dictum that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend".

According reports, at least two candidates were disqualified as they did not bring sufficient cash to put down the required deposit for them to be eligible to contest.

In Samalaju, Bintulu, the independent candidate from Suara Rakyat, Betty Ubong, 39, broke down in tears after she had to withdraw from contesting when she was told by the returning officer that she is RM5,000 short of the required electoral deposit.

Janting Jawa, also an independent candidate for Layar, Betong, had his nomination rejected by returning officer Friday Belik after he turned with neither a proposer nor a seconder.

The 78-year-old Janting also did not bring sufficient cash for his election deposit, the Borneo Post reported.

This led to a straight fight between BN candidate Gerald Rentap Jabu and PKR’s Vernon Aji Kedit.

However, some seats saw fights that appear to be more complicated than straight match-ups between clear cut political rivals, with the contests in some constituencies pitting friends and family against one another.

The contest in Pending, Bandar Kuching, saw old friends Milton Foo Tiang Wee from SUPP and DAP's Violet Yong Wui Wui (photo) running against each other.

Foo and Yong have been schoolmates since secondary school, and they have also chosen the same career path: both are lawyers.

In Pelawan, BN direct candidate Janet Lau is facing Star Reform Party's (Star) maiden woman candidate Priscilla Lau in the central region.

According to the Sin Chew Daily, the 47-year-old lawyer Priscilla's father is Janet's cousin.

Janet is also the widow of former deputy transport minister Robert Lau. Her husband's nephew Henry Lau is the second generation boss of the KTS Group.

And interestingly, two expelled DAP members have found themselves a berth on the same political ship in Pujut.

Former Teratai assemblyperson Janice Lee came to the Kenyalang State to campaign for independent Fong Pau Teck, who was DAP's incumbent Pujut assemblyperson and now on his own, pushing for Sarawak independence.

PKR candidate goes missing

The PKR candidate for Bukit Sari, Alex Lihan, went missing and did not turn up at the nomination centre yesterday morning, allowing BN to win uncontested.

Another PKR candidate, Morni Samsudin, saw his nomination for the Pantai Damai seat nullified, as he has been declared a bankrupt for being the guarantor for a loan that has gone unpaid.

With about a dozen days to go before voting day, the chaos and drama of the nominations may set the tone for the campaigning period, which kicked off today, before Sarawakians vote for their choices on May 7.

In any case, the events yesterday set the stage for an exciting election - and perhaps for more drama and chaos in the days of campaigning to come. -Mkini