The family factor in the Sarawak elections

S’WAK POLLS Polling day in Sarawak on May 7 will witness an uncle and nephew vying against each other, sons taking over from their fathers as candidates and two widows defending their husbands’ seats.

PBB Youth deputy chief Gerald Rentap Jabu, and Malaysian Youth Parliament member, Allan Siden Gramong will be defending their fathers’ seats respectively, in the 11th state election.

Aged 42, Gerald Rentap, who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics (banking and finance) from La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia and is a businessman, will stand in the Layar constituency for Barisan Nasional.

His father, PBB deputy president and Sarawak deputy chief minister Alfred Jabu Numpang had held the seat for nine terms since 1974.

Alfred Jabu had also served as state minister under two former chief ministers, Abdul Rahman Yaakub and (the latter’s nephew) Abdul Taib Mahmud.

Allan Siden, 30, who has a Bachelor of Arts from Limkokwing University of Creative Technology is replacing his father, Gramong Juna, 69, as the BN candidate in Machan. The latter had held the seat for seven terms.

Meanwhile, Irene Mary Chang Oi Ling, 51, of DAP will defend the Bukit Assek seat which was won by her late husband Wong Ho Leng in the 2011 state election.

‘Kapitan’ Janet Lau, 69, whose late husband was federal deputy minister Robert Lau, will contest in Pelawan as a BN direct candidate.

In Mambong (formerly known as Bengoh), BN incumbent Jerip Susil will be contesting against his nephew Willie Mongin of PKR. He has been the constituency’s assemblyperson since 1996.

- Bernama