PBB meets amid speculation on Sarawak state polls

Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) held a special closed-door meeting at its headquarters (HQ) here today amid speculation that the Sarawak state polls will be held soon.

Furthermore, its comes just after Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg and party chiefs in PBB-led Gabung Parti Sarawak (GPS) had voiced support for Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin at a meeting with the Prime Minister in Putrajaya on Wednesday.

Today's meeting has set tongues wagging that the 12th Sarawak state election is imminent.

Abang Johari, who is also PBB president, arrived at the PBB HQ at 10.45 am and is believed to have chaired the meeting that was scheduled to start at 11 am.

Also seen entering the building were Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Deputy Chief Minister II Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan, both of whom are deputy presidents of the party, and other PBB supreme council members, among them Senior Minister (Infrastructure) and Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof and Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.

Besides them, several Sarawak cabinet ministers were also seen entering the building among them Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Children's Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah and Assistant Minister for Ports and Infrastructure, Datuk Julaihi Narawi.

The 11th Sarawak state election was held on May 7, 2016 and the 12th has to be held by July 2021.

However, based on previous records, the state usually holds its elections a year early.

In the 11th state election, the four component parties in Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) won 72 seats between them out of the 82 at stake,

However, following BN's defeat in the 14th general election in May 2018, the four - PBB; Parti Rakyat Bersatu Sarawak (SUPP); Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Parti Demokratik Progresif (PDP) exited BN on June 12, 2018 and formed GPS.

-- BERNAMA