SIBU: Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh and his wife Datin Seri Leong Poh Lin cast their votes for the Bawang Assan seat at 8.49am on Saturday (Dec 18) at the SJK (C) Chung Hua polling centre.

       Wong, 79, the oldest among the 349 candidates in this election, arrived at the centre with his wife at 8.45am.

       He told reporters later that he believed the heavy rain would not keep the voters away.

       "It's bit unfortunate that we have heavy rain this morning. I hope the rain will stop so that voters can come out to vote but (I feel) it will not dampen the spirits of the voters," he said briefly.

       Wong has held the seat for six terms since 1991.

       One of his opponents, Gabungan Parti Sarawak's (GPS) Senator Robert Lau Hui Yew, was also voting at the same centre.

       Wong, a former finance minister II, was locked in a five-cornered fight for the seat. The other contenders are Michelle Ling Shyan Mih of Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK), Amy Lau Bik Yieng of DAP, and Independent Ricky Entrie.

       The seat has a total of 26 voting centres and 19,650 voters.