KUCHING: All the candidates from two local Opposition parties which contested in the state election – Sarawak People’s Aspiration Party (Aspirasi) and Parti Sedar Rakyat Sarawak (Sedar) – have lost their deposits.
They are among the 169 candidates, almost half of the 349 who contested, who will not be getting back their RM5,000.
In an election, candidates lose their deposit if they fail to get at least one-eighth or 12.5% of the total ballots cast.
Aspirasi fielded 15 candidates in Padungan, Pending, Batu Lintang, Kota Sentosa, Batu Kawah, Serembu, Mambong, Repuk, Machan, Bukit Assek, Dudong, Pelawan, Tanjong Batu, Piasau and Pujut.
All five Sedar candidates who contested in Opar, Samariang, Saribas, Muara Tuang and Lingga also lost their deposits.
Suffering the same fate were 11 of the 26 DAP candidates who contested in Baleh, Stakan, Simanggang, Meradong, Pelagus, Kemena, Bawang Assan, Bukit Semuja, Kedup, Bukit Goram and Tasik Biru.
PKR lost its deposit in 22 of the 28 seats it contested: Sadong Jaya, Satok, Lingga, Bukit Saban, Asajaya, Beting Maro, Opar, Marudi, Ba’kelalan, Murum, Balingian, Simunjan, Kakus, Serembu, Tebedu, Ngemah, Tellian, Katibas, Bekenu, Batu Danau, Tupong and Lambir.
Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) also suffered big losses with 66 of its 73 candidates losing their RM5,000 deposits.
Amanah lost deposits in seven of the eight seats it contested: Gedong, Samariang, Kabong, Jemoreng, Semop, Demak Laut and Muara Tuang.
Also, 23 of the 30 Independents who contested failed to retain their deposit.
Among them were Agnes Padan who only managed to secure 55 votes in Ba’kelalan, Wong Hau Ming who only got 38 votes in Tanjong Batu, and Roland Bangu who got 106 votes in Tebedu.
In Bukit Goram, all four candidates who contested against Gabungan Parti Sarawak’s (GPS) Jefferson Jamit Unyat lost their deposits. Jamit won with a majority of 3,538 votes.
In Dudong, the five who challenged GPS’ Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing lost their deposits.