Reform is one of two opposition parties thus far to throw its hat into the ring. Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDS Baru) has also announced that it will field its candidate, Rapelson Richard Hamit.
Nominations are tomorrow and the polling date is Feb 18.
PKR, PAS and Amanah had announced they would not be contesting the by-election while DAP has yet to formally announce its decision.
In announcing the move, Reform leader Lina Soo said although the opposition party has the “deepest respect” for Adenan and his unique contributions, the party reserves the right to contest.
“Tok Nan will want us to continue in the spirit of democracy, with or without him,” she told reporters today.
Soo said the party will field one of four possible candidates to contest the seat — party deputy president Mura Kadir, chairman Johnny Aput, women’s chief Sylvia John or Soo herself.
“Sarawak belongs to the people of Sarawak, not to politicians, not to PBB and especially not to Barisan Nasional. The seat belongs to any Sarawakian who can deliver his or her services to Sarawak.
“It is not a heritage seat that can be passed down or transferred. BN still has 71 assemblymen who can continue the late CM’s legacy,” she said.
The party is likely to campaign on the platform of autonomy and Sarawak’s rights.
“We urge the Sarawak government to carry out by constitutional means, the late CM’s initiative to restore our political status as one of three equal partners in the Federation of Malaysia, and not one of 13 states.
She added that the government led by Adenan had failed to resolve the native customary rights of “pemakai menoa” (territorial domain) and “pulau galau” (communal forest reserve), which were declared as having no force of law by the Federal Court on Dec 20 last year.
“In one stroke, the Federal Court had extinguished and denied our Sarawak peoples’ customary rights over ‘pemakai menoa’ and ‘pulau galau’. The natives were denied the forests from which they had the customary right to collect forest resources for generations and hundreds of years before there was Malaysia,” she said.
Soo said the party recognised it will be an uphill battle to win the seat. “They (BN) will spend millions upon millions.”
Soo became the party’s president last April, after the death of her predecessor, Patau Rubis, in March.
Formed in 1996, the Sarawak Reform Party has never won any parliamentary or state constituency in the elections it contested.
Soo lost her contest for the Stampin parliamentary seat in 2013. She also lost her bid for the Batu Lintang state seat last year.
In the Sarawak election last May and the 13th general election in 2013, the party lost all 11 seats it contested.
Following the swearing-in of Abang Johari Openg as chief minister last month, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu’s (PBB) secretary-general Stephen Rundi Utom asked that the opposition not contest in the by-election “out of respect for our late chief minister”.
In response, Soo had said the call was contrary to democratic principles.
Despite a mourning period, Jamilah is expected to campaign as normal for the Tanjung Datu state seat, located 90km from the state’s capital.
State BN campaign director Wan Junadi Tuanku Jaafar told reporters on Wednesday that he will lead 15 campaign teams to defend the seat.