Parti Bumiputera Bersatu Sarawak (PBB) information chief Peter Minos said Gerald Rentap Jabu had the merits to be the assemblyman for the constituency.

He said he would support any father-to-son handover of an electoral seat if the son had such qualities as seen in the young Jabu.

“If the children are really good and they are nominated on merit and are acceptable to the people, then that is all fair and fine,” he said in an interview with FMT.

“The problems begins when such children are not welcomed and are not liked by the constituents for whatever reason.

“So it is important for the top leaders to check the real facts and the backgrounds of such children before deciding. The children’s acceptability and winnability must be looked into thoroughly before they are made candidates for voters to choose.”

Gerald’s nomination for Layar was announced last Sunday by Chief Minister Adenan Satem. PBB sources said Alfred chose his son after being given a free hand to pick his successor.

Political analyst Jeniri Amir of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak supported Minos’s view, saying the question of nepotism should not arise in cases like Jabu’s if candidates were qualified and prepared to sacrifice their time, energy and money for the people.

He acknowledged that some voters would question the motive behind such a method of selection, but he added: “So long as the candidate can prove to be the best one for the seat, the voters will be okay with it.”

However, he warned of the possibility that the practice would taint a party’s image and cause an internal feud.