Practically, he is a nobody in politics.

by Sebanaku Sarawak

SIBU: Practically, he is a nobody in politics.

However, it seems that the Nangka state assemblyman Datuk Awang Bemee Ali Basah just could not ignore this poor man.

Not so much on Narawi Haron is to make a miracle in the coming Sibu by-election but because the poor man is throwing mud towards Bemee.

The former soldier, who had contested in the same parliamentary constituency in 1995, claimed that Bemee has failed to give his best service to the Nangka residents and this has motivated him to improve the situation by contesting in the by-election.

And it seems that Bemee does not dare to take a risk that the mud would not stick to him because it is an open secret that his political bosses had to be on their knees begging the Malay voters to accept him as the BN candidate in the last state election.

Luckily for Bemee that the Malay voters were able to set aside their unhappiness towards him by giving their votes to the BN.

Nevertheless, Bemee could not be blamed if he believed that the Malay voters were actually voting the BN party and not him.

However, since the state election can be called at any time by the State BN chairman Pehin Sri Taib Mahmud, Bemee knows that he has to play his political game carefully if he wanted to be retained as the candidate.

As it is now, there are already talks that he would be replaced in the next state election.

In view of this, it is not a suprise that the state assemblyman is firing shots at Narawi, who is the very man who had pulled out from contesting in the last state election in the Nangka constituency.

Today, Bemee had fired his ammunition in the acto of defence against accussations made by Narawi that he has failed the Malays in the Sibu parliamentary constituency.

The state assemblyman said based on Narawi's track record in the election, he is not a kind of candidate that is supported by the voters.

He pointed out candidates like Narawi would only emerge during election - and due to this, claimed Bemee, many voters are not happy Narawi.

"A candidate like him will only emerge during election," he said.

He also denied that he had failed to carry out his duty as the state assemblyman for the Nangka constituents.

The Sibu by-election might see a three-corner fight between Narawi as an independent candidate, Robert Lau Hui Yew (the BN/SUPP candidate) and Wong Ho Leng (the PR/DAP candidate).

However, whether this will materialise or not will depend on what happens during the nomination day on this Saturday.

The Sibu parliamentary constituency consists of three state constituencies - namely Nangka, Pelawan dan Bawang Assan.

Nangka is the only constituency which majority of the voters are Malays while the other two constitencies are Chinese-majority.

If Narawi able to get the Malays/Bumiputeras to swing their votes to the opposition, this by-election will see the seat will be won by Ho Leng under the PR ticket.

It is a well known fact that in the last state election, the late Datuk Robert Lau has won the seat due to the strong supports given by the Malays and Dayaks - as well as postal voter.

In the nutshell, it is not only Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) who is fighting for its survival but also Bemee because if the Malays and Dayaks decided to cast their votes to Ho Leng, then Bemee could rest assure that he could give the coming state election a good bye kiss.