KUCHING: Gabungan Parti Sarawak, which will be represented by Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) in Jepak in the coming by-election, is confident of retaining the state seat, said the party’s deputy president Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
As it is traditionally a PBB seat, Uggah expressed confidence that the party will emerge victorious on Nov 4.
“In the last state election, we won with a very good majority. I’m very confident we will come out with an outstanding victory,” he told New Sarawak Tribune in an interview, today.
Asked whether the party will field a younger candidate, Uggah said the decision is up to Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, stressing that PBB will be fully prepared for the election.
In various media reports, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sarawak deputy chairman Senator Abun Sui Anyit was quoted as saying that PKR will not field a candidate in the election to maintain the stability of the unity government.
Meanwhile, Parti Sedar Rakyat (Sedar) president Datuk Othman Abdillah has said that the party is considering fielding a candidate and is proposing an opposition pact to face GPS.
The Jepak by-election will be held on Nov 4, with nominations on Oct 21 and early voting on Oct 31.
The by-election was called following the death of incumbent Datuk Talib Zulpilip on Sept 15.
Talib served as Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department (Integrity and Ombudsman) from 2017 to 2021 and was a six-term assemblyman for the seat since it was first introduced in the 1996 State Election.
He retained Jepak in 2021, winning with a majority of 4,248 votes in a four-cornered fight.
