Malaysian Digest
SIBU, 8 MAY, 2010: The Sibu parliamentary by-election on May 16 will see a three-cornered fight between Barisan Nasional (BN), the DAP and an independent candidate.
BN’s Robert Lau Hui Yew of Sarawak Uinted People’s Party (SUPP), is up against DAP’s Wong Ho Leng, who is also Bukit Assek state assemblyman, and independent Narawi Harun.
The list of candidates was announced by Returning Officer Wong See Meng, who is also the Sibu district officer, at the Sibu Civic Centre at 11.25 am.
See Meng accepted the papers of all three candidates as no issues were raised during the one-hour objection period.
Hui was the first to hand in his papers, at 9.02am, followed by Wong one minute later at 9.03am and Narawi at 9.25am.
Thousands of supporters from both sides, including 5,000 from the BN, had gathered at Sibu town since early today, causing traffic congestion on roads leading to the nomination centre.
They were seen shouting slogans of their respective parties but the situation was under control.
Earlier Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud headed the BN supporters in a two-kilometer march from the Delta Estate.
The DAP camp was led by its secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) by president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail while Narawi was accompanied only by two supporters – his proposer and seconder.
Security around the nomination centre was tightened as policemen were in full force to direct traffic and prevent any untoward incident.