Highly placed sources have told FMT that Henry Harry Jinep, described as “the rising star of the Bidayuh community,” has been picked to be a “direct” Barisan Nasional candidate for the Tasik Biru seat which lies within the Bau administrative district.
Jinep, 48, is the CEO of the Putra Sentosa Group of companies and is much respected for his success in business as well as his contributions to social causes.
The Henry Jinep Foundation gives scholarships, loans and other forms of aid to needy students.
Jinep is also known for his donations to NGOs, churches, associations and individuals and this has won him praise from Sarawak Governor Taib Mahmud, Infrastructure Development and Communications Minister Michael Manyin and Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Anthony Nogeh Gumbek.
A BN insider described him as “the right man for the job,” saying his popularity on the ground made him a “winnable” candidate.
It was recently reported that Jinep would be a Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) candidate but BN sources are now affirming that he will stand as a direct BN candidate instead, replacing incumbent Nansian from SPDP’s splinter party, Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (Teras).
Nansian, the Assistant Minister of Community Services, has served as Tasik Biru assemblyman for four terms and the state BN leadership feels it is time for new blood to come in.
In the 2011 election, Nansian won Tasik Biru for SPDP with a 2,072-vote majority in a contest against PKR and Snap. He joined the pro-BN Teras in 2014, along with then SPDP president William Mawan, Bekenu assemblywoman Rosey Yunus, Batu Danau assemblyman Paulus Palu Gumbang and Marudi assemblyman Sylvester Entri.
The bad blood between SPDP and Teras has raised fears of an impasse as both parties want to contest the seat. However, replacing Nansian with a direct BN candidate is expected to resolve any problem between the two parties, according to a BN source.
Despite its BN-friendly stance, Teras has yet to be officially accepted as a member of the coalition.
FMT has also been told that Marudi assemblyman Sylvester Entri may not be defending his seat. Sources said it was likely that the BN leadership would field an SPDP candidate, former senior civil servant Penguang Manggil.
Entri, is also a four-term assemblyman.
It has previously been reported that some longhouse chiefs were calling for Entri to be replaced, alleging that he had caused disharmony within certain longhouse communities and FMT was also made to understand there were also grouses from constituents on the lack of development in the area.