LAWAS: Caretaker deputy chief minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan will face a three-cornered fight for the Bukit Sari seat in the Sarawak state election this time.

       Awang Tengah of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) will be challenged by Riyah Basrah of Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) and Alias Mail of Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB).

       The final list of candidates was announced by Bukit Sari returning officer Ladin Atok at about 10.30am at the nomination centre at the Lawas District Council building here on Monday (Dec 6).

       "Only three candidates submitted their forms when nominations closed. I am satisfied and no forms were rejected,” he said when confirming the nominations for the state seat.

       Earlier, Awang Tengah was the earliest to arrive at the nomination centre at 7.50 am, accompanied by a proposer and a seconder as well as his wife Datuk Dayang Morliah Awang Daud and Lawas Member of Parliament Datuk Henry Sum Agong, who is also the caretaker deputy transport minister.

       Meanwhile, Alias, who was clad in baju Melayu, arrived with his proposer and seconder at 8.40am. A few minutes later, Riyah, his proposer and seconder arrived.

       Previously, it was reported that the Bukit Sari seat would see at least a five-cornered contest. However, at the end of the nomination process at 10am on Monday, only the three candidates turned up to submit their nomination forms.

       In the 2016 election, Awang Tengah, who is also the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) deputy president, won uncontested while in 2011 with a 5,063-majority defeating Japar Suyut of PKR.

       Based on the Election Commission (EC) data, the Bukit Sari state constituency has a total of 13,054 registered voters, including 119 early voters.

       The EC set Dec 14 for early voting and Dec 18 for polling.- Bernama