BINTANGOR – It was an anxious moment for Parti Bumi Kenyalang candidate Jenny Wong Khing Ling when she forgot to bring the pass issued by the Election Commission (EC) to enter the nomination centre.
Her failure to produce the pass resulted in the sole woman candidate for the Semop seat being denied access to the Meradong District Office Multipurpose Hall, which had been turned into a nomination centre for the 12th Sarawak Election.
However, everything ended well for her after she managed to dash home for her pass before being allowed to enter the hall at 9.45 am – 15 minutes before the nomination period closed – to submit her form.
The Semop seat will see a five-cornered fight between four parties and an independent candidate.
Incumbent Datuk Abdullah Saidol, the Gabungan Parti Sarawak candidate defending the seat for the third term, will be challenged by Wong, Abdul Raafidin Majidi of Parti Sarawak Bersatu, Mohamad Fadillah Sabali of Amanah, and independent Mohd Adenan Zulkepli.
The announcement of the candidates contesting the seat was made by Semop returning officer Badjuri Bidin after the nomination process ended.
Not even the heavy rain that poured since the early morning could stop the candidates from turning up early at the nomination centre to submit their forms.
Fadillah was the first to submit his form once the nomination process began at 9am, followed by Abdullah, Adenan, Raafidin, and Wong.
At the 11th election in 2016, Abdullah, who contested under the Barisan Nasional-PBB ticket, won with a 4,412 majority in a straight fight. – Bernama, December 6, 2021
