MIRI: Barisan Nasional (BN) is likely to retain incumbent Anyi Ngau for Baram parliamentary seat, one of the largest constituencies in the country, in the 14th General Election (GE14).
Assistant Minister for Local Goverment Datuk Dr Penguang Manggil said, as of now, there was a strong indication that Anyi would be renominated for the second time as the BN candidate there.
“If there is any change of candidate, I think they (party) must consult me because Marudi state seat is the kingmaker for Baram seat,” Penguang, who is also Marudi assemblyman and Marudi Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) chairman, told reporters after chairing Marudi PDP election machinery meeting for Baram seat here yesterday.
Penguang said the Baram parliamentary seat has a total of 35,400 registered voters with Marudi state seat having 15,600 voters, followed by Telang Usan (10,700) and Mulu (9,100).
As for the GE14 preparation, he said, the party was confident that the Baram seat would remain as BN stronghold based on the past state and parliamentary election results.
“I am very confident with the latest development and political climate, we can win by a big majority in GE14, easily at least by 1,000 majority votes and most probably bigger than that because we never lost in Baram,” he said.
He said BN’s slim win in the 13th General Election (GE13) was attributed to the last minute changing of BN candidate and internal problem in PDP but all the issues had been settled.
In the GE13, Anyi who was then among the new faces contesting, had won the seat with a razor thin margin of 194 majority votes against PKR candidate Roland Engan.
He added the large crowd presence during Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg’s visit to Marudi last week was unexpected and a good sign for BN.
The GE14 will only involve the 31 parliamentary seats in the state as Sarawak held its state election for the 82 state seats in 2016.
