KUCHING: Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) has given the mandate to its president Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg to decide on its candidates for the coming Sarawak state election, says its deputy president Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas.
He said Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), the four-party state coalition of which PBB is a key component, will likewise leave it to Abang Johari to make the final call on candidates.
"We're giving full mandate to our president on the candidacy.
"For GPS also, we have all agreed to give the mandate to (Abang Johari) to make the final decision," he told reporters after a PBB supreme council meeting at party headquarters here on Wednesday (Nov 4).
Uggah, who is also GPS election director, said the meeting did not discuss potential candidates or PBB incumbents switching seats.
He said the supreme council was briefed on preparations by the GPS election operations committee, including the appointment of subcommittees overseeing matters such as the manifesto, intelligence, logistics, finance and security.
"The manifesto is being drafted," he said, declining to provide further details.
Uggah also said the state disaster management committee (SDMC) will brief the Election Commission (EC) on the weather forecast for the coming polls as it will coincide with the North-East Monsoon.
He said the briefing will take place after the EC announces the key dates for the polls, including nomination and polling days.
"SDMC is monitoring the situation. We have been informed that the monsoon has started and will last until March.
"Once we know the nomination and polling dates, we will get the state Meteorological Department to brief them on the situation.
"Because some areas are really remote, they may have to use helicopters, and that's why they have to know... the weather situation in these places," he said.
The EC will meet on Friday (Nov 6) to decide the election dates.
Meanwhile, PBB secretary-general Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the party's preparations were reaching an advanced stage.
"Facing an election is nothing new for us. What we've done is to formally set up an operations committee," he said.
Asked if PBB will defend all 47 seats it won in the 2021 election, Nanta said he would leave it to Abang Johari to announce.
He also said any announcements on candidates should be left to the party president.
