KUCHING: Tasik Biru state seat is likely to witness no less than a three-cornered fight in the next state polls.
The seat is currently held by Datuk Henry Harry Jinep of Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), a component of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).
Jinep, a first-term assemblyman, won the seat on a Barisan Nasional (BN) ticket during the state election in 2016.
Two other potential contenders are expected to be either from Democratic Action Party (DAP) or Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) of Pakatan Harapan (PH) and the newly established Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB), a breakaway party of Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP).
However, as at yesterday, PH has yet to confirm its candidate. It is also still unclear whether the candidate will be from DAP or PKR.
PSB, which is led by former state Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh, on the other hand, is widely speculated to field former Mas Gading MP and former rural and regional development deputy minister, under the previous federal government, Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe.
Dr Tiki was MP for Mas Gading from 1999-2013. Then, he was the vice president of Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (now renamed PDP). He was, however, not fielded to defend the seat in the 2013 parliamentary election after he was expelled from the party.
Not willing to give up without a fight, he stood as an independent to challenge BN new comer Anthony Nogeh Gumbek, also from SPDP, for the parliamentary seat but was defeated. Mas Gading is made up of two state seats – Tasik Biru and Opar.
Prior to joining PSB, Dr Tiki has also, for a while, joined the Parti Pribumi Bersatu (Bersatu). It was, however, not known was made him quit Bersatu to join PSB.
Speculations that PSB would field Dr Tiki in Tasik Biru seat is indirectly confirmed by PSB’s decision to set up its N2 Tasik Biru Service Centre at Dr Tiki’s house, Lorong 14, Kampung Suba Bandar.
Wong is scheduled to officiate at the opening of the service centre at 2pm on Feb 29.
In the 2016 state election, Jinep won the predominantly Bidayuh seat with a 1,288-vote majority after he polled 6,922 votes (55%) as against Mordi Bimol of DAP’s 5,634 votes (45%).
