BINTULU: The nomination process for the Jepak state seat by-election will begin on Saturday (Oct 21) at Dewan Suarah in Bintulu, marking the start of the battle to win over voters.
Over the past week, political leaders and party members from all over Sarawak have descended upon this constituency, located about 620 kilometers north of Kuching, intensifying the heat of the by-election.
This by-election follows the death of the incumbent Datuk Talib Zulpilip, 72, from Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) on September 15. The Election Commission has announced that polling day will take place on November 4, with early voting on October 31.
However, on Friday (Oct 20), Jepak by-election returning officer Abang Zainuddin Abang Turkey confirmed that there will be no early voting center on October 31. The 43 early voters, who are police personnel, will instead cast their ballots via postal votes.
Talib had served as the Jepak assemblyman for 27 years, participating in six state elections since 1996, solidifying the seat as a stronghold for GPS.
However, this upcoming by-election will be the first time in almost 30 years that GPS will field a new contender.
Last Wednesday, GPS put an end to speculation by announcing former state director of the National Anti-Drug Agency, Iskandar Turkee, as its candidate for the seat.
Before that, two local opposition parties had already declared their candidates to challenge GPS, while rumors circulated about several independent candidates joining the competition.
Meanwhile, Perikatan Nasional stated on Wednesday that it would not field a candidate, as its focus will be on defending the Kemaman parliamentary seat in Terengganu during a by-election on December 2.
Sarawak PKR has also taken a similar stance to maintain harmony within the Unity Government at the federal level.
In the 2021 state election, Talib secured the Jepak seat with a majority of 4,243 votes.
The constituency has a total of 22,804 registered voters, with the majority coming from the Malay/Melanau ethnic group.
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