SIBU: Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) has identified three potential candidates to contest for the Baleh seat at the coming 12th Sarawak State Election.

       The seat was left vacant following the demise of its president Tan Sri James Jemut Masing on October 31 this year.

       The party Youth chief, Datuk Snowdan Lawan, after presenting RM2.6mil in financial assistance to 23 Catholic Mission Schools in the region on Thursday (Nov 18), said that they had submitted the names of the three to GPS president Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg for verification and approval.

       "For this election we will be using the logo of GPS and not our party one. The Chief Minister will decide on the candidate as he wants GPS to win all seats (82 seats)," he said.

       Snowdan said after whoever among the three was chosen, they must have the support of the other two.

       He was confident that the party could retain the seat as it was "our President's seat".

       "I think there is no problem for us to retain the seat as the people want to continue his legacy.

       "I also feel that people are sympathetic and will continue to support us," he said.

       Touching on the Ngemah seat, he said a new face might be fielded as the results of the previous two elections showed that the majority of votes won by incumbent, Alexander Vincent, was on the decline.

       "In the 2011 election he won by a majority of 990 votes but five years later in the 2016 election, his majority dropped to 154 in a four-corners fight.

       "If it was a straight then, he would have lost. We didn't say he cannot win again this time but we are a bit worried as we want to win the seat," he said.

       Snowdan said the party had submitted two names, which included the incumbent, to the Chief Minister to decide.