Taib Mahmud faces cousin, PKR in 3-cornered fight
Taib Mahmud set to retain seat with three-corner fight involving PKR
(Bernama) – As expected, Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud is being challenged by his cousin, Datuk Salleh Jafaruddin who is standing as an independent, and a Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) candidate, Suriati Abdullah, in a three-cornered fight in the Balingian state constituency.
Taib, who is also the state Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman and standing for the seventh term to defend his Balingian constituency for the third time, arrived at the nomination centre at the Dewan Suarah Mesra Mukah at 9am on Wednesday, April 6.
Salleh arrived at 7.20am and Suriati 9.15am.
The Returning Officer for Balingian, Mohamad Nawawi, when announcing the outcome of the nomination, said Taib filed his papers at 9.20am, Suriati at 9.36am and Salleh 9.44am.
“We received three objections. However, all three were rejected,” he said, declining to elaborate on the objections.
The objection resulted in the outcome of the nomination being announced only at 12.15pm, which was one hour and 15 minutes after the conclusion of the objection period at 11am.
Earlier, Taib, who was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, had assembled together with about 5,000 of his supporters since 7.30am at the Masjid Setia Raja, Mukah before walking two kilometres in a procession to the nomination centre at Dewan Suarah Mesra Mukah.
Also accompanying Taib were his wife, Puan Sri Ragad Waleed Taib, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, the Member of Parliament for Mukah, Datuk Seri Muhammad Leo Toyad, and Sabah State Assembly Speaker Datuk Salleh Tun Said Kruak.
The procession passed through Boulevard Setia Raja to the Mukah old town before passing Jalan Mohd Pauzi, where the Dewan Suarah Mesra Mukah is located.
However, Salleh, 67, a former deputy education minister, who is contesting as an independent, was the first candidate to arrive at the nomination centre.
Accompanied by his wife, Datin Sharifah Hajijah Syed Jamil, Salleh arrived at the nomination centre at the Dewan Suarah Mesra Mukah at 7.20am as officials of the Election Commission were preparing to start the nomination process.
He was also accompanied by another former deputy education minister, Datuk Bujang Ulis, as well two other supporters.
He had arrived early thinking that the nomination centre would be opened at 8am instead of 9am.
Asked how he would carry out his campaign, Salleh, who hails from Kuala Balingian, near here, said he would adopt the house-to-house campaigning.
However, he would not set up any operation centre except to use his car as a mobile operation centre.
