S'wak Polls: Ali Biju tells Krian electorate to vote for GPS

The Sarawak Bersatu vice-president said he would explain why he decided to withdraw from contesting so that the voters and supporters know that it was done in the best interest of all parties.

"I will go to all the villages and every longhouse and explain to the voters not to vote for me, (but) vote for the GPS candidate. This I will do when I meet the electorate at the grassroots level," Ali, who is the Krian incumbent, told a media conference here today.

Yesterday, Ali, who is also the Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, said the decision was to maintain the consensus as well as strengthen the ties between Perikatan Nasional (PN) and GPS.

During nomination on Monday (Dec 6), Ali filed his nomination papers to contest the Krian seat as an Independent candidate, going against Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's stance that the party would not contest in the 12th Sarawak polls and instead throw its support behind GPS.

Although Ali's name will still officially appear on the ballot paper, the real contest will involve Friday Belik of GPS, Musa Dinggat of Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) and Danny Kuan of Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK).

In line with his decision, Ali, who is also the Saratok Member of Parliament, urged those who have been supporting him all this while to back the GPS candidate.

"We need to calm my supporters who have been loyal for the last 10 years with statements that are proper and meaningful. I feel that my supporters can accept that and give way to GPS and support the GPS candidate in Krian," he told the media conference that was also attended by PN Information chief Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.

Ali had won the Krian seat in the 2011 and 2016 elections when he contested under the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) banner.

In 2016, he defeated Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Kilat Beriak with a majority of 1,640 votes.

Asked on the possibility of him winning the contest since his name will still appear on the ballot paper, he merely replied: "It's just speculation."

Ali, however, is confident of garnering support for the GPS candidate when he begins campaigning, adding that the party is capable of winning the seat.

"A win for GPS is also a win for me," he said.

Earlier today, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said that candidates cannot withdraw their candidature after 10 am on nomination day as stipulated under Regulation 9, Elections Regulations (Conduct of Elections) 1981.

With his withdrawal, Ali also hoped that GPS would give way to Bersatu to contest in the Saratok Parliamentary seat, in which he is the incumbent, in the upcoming 15th General Election.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Azmin expressed his appreciation to Ali for pullling out of the race for sake of strengthening the close ties between GPS and Bersatu at the Federal level.