KUCHING: Infighting and sabotage among the Chinese Barisan Nasional candidates could cost them a potential deputy chief minister (DCM) post.
Sarawak political expert Dr Jeniri Amir (pic) said that a "kill or be killed" attitude between SUPP and UPP could deny Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem the Chinese seats that he has been eyeing.
"Things would be very rosy for Adenan if not for this. It is not going to be a walk in the park for him in the urban seats," said Dr Jeniri who is a lecturer in Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.
SUPP is a Barisan partner whereas UPP is a splinter party of SUPP. UPP is standing as independent candidates against SUPP and vice versa in a number of Chinese seats.
The leaders of these two parties used to be allies but are now out to destroy each other in the polls.
Dr Jeniri said that the DCM post may slip from the Chinese fingers again if SUPP does not deliver the Chinese seats.
Sarawak used to have two DCMs - one to represent the Dayak community and another to represent the Chinese.
The Chinese DCM post was not filled after the 2011 election after SUPP suffered a massive defeat.
"A two-thirds majority is in the bag for Adenan but there will be some big upsets on both sides," he said.
He said some of the big upsets could involve the "tycoon candidates" in the Sibu region as well as two urban seats in the Kuching city area.
These candidates are tycoons in their own right while some of them are backed by the "Big Six" as the top timber and business companies in Sarawak are known.
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