Up to CM to decide on BN candidate for Pujut by-election — Dr Rundi

MIRI: State Barisan Nasional ( BN) chairman and Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg will have the final say on the BN candidate for Pujut by- election.

State BN secretary- general Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom stressed this when asked about the Pujut seat candidacy for the coming by- election which has piqued interest in the political circles and the general public.

“Everything is possible,” he replied when asked the possibility of fielding a direct BN candidate as in the last state election, amidst the lobbying by SUPP and UPP.

“There are a lot of possibilities, right now everything is possible but what is important is we win the seat,” he added.

All eyes are on BN’s choice of candidate for this by- election which was triggered by the disqualification of Dr Ting Tiong Choon as Pujut state assemblyman by the State Legislative Assembly which voted 70 to 10 on grounds that he had contravened the state constitution.

UPP president and Minister of International Trade and ECommerce Dato Sri Wong Soon Kohl moved the motion on May 12 this year, which Dr Ting alleged was unfair and undemocratic.

The tussle for BN ticket started almost immediately between SUPP and UPP.

In staking its claim on Pujut, SUPP said only a BN component party should be allowed to contest in the party’s traditional seat. However, UPP said it was in the best position to take on the opposition as the constituency is their stronghold.

Andy Chia Chu Fatt won the seat for SUPP in 2006 but was defeated by Fong Pau Teck of DAP in the 2011 state election.

Meanwhile, Dr Rundi said while the candidacy would be decided by the BN top leadership, their election machinery was ready to face the opposition in the by- election.

“Whether it is SUPP or UPP, we will leave it to the BN chairman to decide on the BN candidate,” he said.

Datuk Hii King Chiong resigned from UPP to contest in Pujut in an eleventh hour move by the state BN led by former chief minister the late Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem.

Dr Ting defended the seat for DAP by a 1,759 vote- majority after garnering 8,899 votes in a four- cornered fight against Hii of BN, Jofri Jaraiee of PAS and Independent candidate Fong Pau Teck, who was had been sacked by DAP.

Both Jofri and Fong had expressed their interest to contest again in the by- election despite the trouncing in the last round.

The Election Commission has set June 20 and July 4 as dates for candidate nomination and polling respectively.