EC state director Takun Sunggah said 20 sets of forms respectively were taken for Bukit Assek, Dudong, and Bawang Assan in Sibu, and Pujut in Miri.

The current indication is that Barisan Naional and the DAP would be involved in a straight fight for the seats.

Takun said nomination forms, costing RM20 a set, were also being snapped up for some of the 11 new seats in the state assembly, with 13 sets each taken for Batu Kitang and Serembu, 11 for Bukit Semuja, 10 in Gedung, eight sets in Samalaju, Murum and Bukit Goram, and seven sets in Mulu.

Takun said potential candidates must be able to pay a RM5,000 deposit and RM3,000 for election campaign material before or on nomination day on Monday.

BN will field direct candidates in three of the four constituencies in Sibu and Miri.

In Bawang Assan, Wong Soon Koh will seek re-election after winning the seat under the SUPP banner in 2011. Wong left SUPP in 2014 to join Tera before setting up the United People’s Party. He resigned as UPP president to contest as a direct candidate for BN.

Ex-SUPP member Tiong Thai King a former MP for Lanang, and businessman Hii King Chiong would represent BN in Dudong and Pujut respectively, while SUPP’s Chieng Buong Toon will be fielded in Bukit Assek.

The DAP has revealed that it would field three new faces: lawyer Irene Mary Chang Oi Ling (Bukit Assek), Chiew Sung Ngie (Bawang Assan) and Dr Ting Tiong Choon (Pujut), while Yap Hoi Liong would defend Dudong.

In the state election in 2011, DAP won three of the seats through the late Wong Ho Leng (Bukit Assek), Yap Hoi Liong (Dudong) and Fong Pau Teck (Pujut).

– BERNAMA