PBB to field 10 new faces in upcoming Sarawak election

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.