By Natasha Jee & Sarah Hafizah Chandra
KUCHING: Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) will announce its list of candidates who will be contesting in the 31 parliamentary seats in the 15th general election (GE15) on Nov 3.
Premier and GPS chairman Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said as of now, the list of candidates is more or less finalised.
“We will announce it (list of candidates) on Nov 3,” he told New Sarawak Tribune in an interview at his office, at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) today.
GPS consists of four component parties namely, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP).
On PBB, Abang Johari who is also the PBB president said that the party will field new faces especially young ones in each parliamentary election.
“Last year, PBB introduced new faces at Tanjung Manis and Sibuti parliamentary seats, and they were young candidates.
“For this election, we will also introduce a young candidate who is a young woman and experienced, and also two younger candidates. Meaning, maybe PBB will have three new faces to be fielded,” he pointed out.
He said while at the GPS’s component party level, new faces will also be fielded among the component party.
“This includes SUPP, PRS and PDP, which will also field new faces. If we count, approximately 10 to 14 are new candidates,” he said.
He added SUPP will contest in six parliamentary seats and out of the six seats three might be fielded with new faces.
“As for the Serian seat, it will remain. And maybe one or two of the (SUPP) candidates who hold a state seat, but will for the first time contest in the GE15,” said Abang Johari.
