Sarawak deputy CM to face 3-way fight for Bukit Sari

Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Awang Tengah Ali Hasan will face a three-cornered fight for the Bukit Sari seat in the Sarawak state election this month.

Awang Tengah of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) will be challenged by Riyah Basrah of Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) and Alias Mail of Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB).

The final list of candidates was announced by Bukit Sari returning officer Ladin Atok at about 10.30am at the nomination centre at the Lawas District Council building today.

“Only three candidates submitted their forms when nominations closed. I am satisfied and no forms were rejected,” he said when confirming the nominations for the state seat.

Awang Tengah was the earliest to arrive at the nomination centre at 7.50am, accompanied by a proposer and a seconder as well as his wife Dayang Morliah Awang Daud and Lawas MP Henry Sum Agong, who is also the deputy transport minister.

Alias arrived with his proposer and seconder at 8.40am. A few minutes later came Riyah, his proposer and seconder arriver.

It was previously reported that the Bukit Sari seat would see at least a five-cornered contest.

However, at the end of the nomination process at 10am today, only the three candidates had turned up to submit their nomination forms.

In the 2016 election, Awang Tengah, who is also the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu deputy president, won uncontested while in 2011, he won with a 5,063-majority, defeating Japar Suyut of PKR.

The Bukit Sari state constituency has a total of 13,054 registered voters, including 119 early voters.

The Election Commission set today for nomination, Dec 14 for early voting and Dec 18 for polling.