KUCHING (Dec 18): Sarawak deputy chief ministers Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas and Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan cast their ballots at the constituencies they are contesting in on Saturday (Dec 18). 

Both deputy presidents of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) are the incumbents of the Bukit Sari and Bukit Saban seats respectively, representing Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).

Awang Tengah voted at the Sekolah Kebangsaan Kampung Seberang polling centre in Kuala Lawas, situated about 241 kilometre by land from Miri. 

He had arrived at the polling centre at 11am with his wife Datuk Dayang Morliah Awang Daud and their son.

“I am pleased with the voting process today… Alhamdulillah, everything is going smoothly. I urge all voters to come out and fulfil their responsibility. I expect the voter turnout here (Bukit Sari) to drop a little due to the Covid-19 pandemic in which some voters may not have travelled back to vote,” he said after casting his ballot. 

The polls this time sees Awang Tengah in a three-cornered contest against Alias Mail from Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) and Riyah Basrah of Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK).

In 2016, he won uncontested, while in 2011, he defeated PKR candidate Japar Suyut with a 5,063-vote majority. Bukit Sari has 13,054 voters. 

Meanwhile, Uggah and his wife Datuk Doreen Mayang and their three children voted at Rumah Mendit Unsu in Betong, about four hours drive from here. 

Uggah is being challenged in Bukit Saban by PKR’s Mikail Mathew Abdullah and Andria Dundang @ Andria Gelayan of PSB. 

In the 2016 state polls, Uggah won the Bukit Saban seat against PKR’s Noel Changgai with a 4,599-vote majority. In this election, 9,523 Bukit Saban constituents are eligible to vote. 

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