MUKAH – Royston Valentine, the newcomer fielded by Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) for the Tellian seat this time, will face a four-cornered fight in the 12th Sarawak election on December 18.
The announcement on candidates eligible to contest the seat was made by Tellian returning officer Peleadzman Ahip at Menara Pehin Setia Raja here today.
Royston, 35, who is also a Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) supreme council member, will be challenged by Mukah PKR chairman Mohd Arwin Lim Abdullah, 34; Zainuddin Budug, 56, of Parti Bumi Kenyalang; and Sait Junaidi, 57, of Parti Sarawak Bersatu.
Royston was the first candidate to submit his nomination form when the nomination centre opened, followed by Lim, Zainuddin, and Sait.
The process to submit the nomination forms, which was carried out in accordance with the Covid-19 standard operating procedures, was completed within 20 minutes.
Royston, a youth activist, is among the 24 new faces and young candidates featured by GPS this time.
He was a member of the Sarawak Youth Parliament from 2014 to 2016, and is also currently serving as vice-president of the Football Association of Sarawak.
“I will continue the development agenda that has been planned for this area,” he told reporters.
The Tellian constituency, an area with a Melanau-majority population, was one of the 11 new seats in the previous election following the redelineation process, and comprises 10,059 registered voters.
At the 11th state election, Yussibnosh Balo won the seat with a 4,421-majority on a Barisan Nasional-PBB ticket in a straight fight against PKR’s Asini@Hasni Yahya. – Bernama, December 6, 2021
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