(From left) Zuraida at the announcement of the candidates Sih, See, Voon, Leong and Ng. — Picture via Borneo Post
KUCHING, Dec 6 — It will be a five-cornered fight in Batu Lintang with incumbent See Chee How from Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) taking on two veterans and two new faces in the 12th Sarawak election.
The two veterans are GPS-SUPP candidate Sih Hua Tong, who is standing in the Chinese-majority urban seat for the third time, and PBK candidate Voon Lee Shan, who was the Batu Lintang assemblyman from 2006 to 2011.
The two new faces are PKR candidate Cherishe Ng and Aspirasi candidate Alex Leong.
In announcing these candidates at 10.29am this morning, Returning Officer Zuraida Idris said they had received their nomination papers, which had been vetted.
“After vetting the nomination papers, we are satisfied and none is rejected. I hereby announce the candidates contesting in N11 Batu Lintang as Sih Hua Tong from GPS, See Chee How from PSB, Voon Lee Shan from PBK, Alex Leong from Aspirasi and Cherishe Ng from PKR,” she announced.
Zuraida said Leong was the first among the five to submit his nomination at 9.02am followed by Ng (9.04am), Voon (9.07am), See (9.12am) and Sih (9.16am).
She added that the early voting is slated for Dec 14 and the polling day on Dec 18.
Leong, who was the first candidate to arrive at the nomination centre at the Kuching South City Hall at 8.20am, was proposed by Chin Lu Chi and seconded by Tan Tze Lik.
Ten minutes later, Ng was seen arriving with her proposer Liu Ling Yeng and seconder Sim Min Min.
Another 10 minutes later, Voon with his proposer Wong Jee Luan and seconder Lee Li Sia made it into the hall.
At 8.52am, See with his proposer Jeffery Mok and seconder Chai Pei Chen were seen marching into the hall and three minutes later, Sih along with his proposer Tan Soon Tiong and seconder Giam Ann Kee made their arrivals.
At 9am sharp, all the candidates started submitting their nomination forms one by one, and the submission process took about 15 minutes.
It was quiet and peaceful inside the hall and outside the nomination centre in view of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by the authorities. — Borneo Post