Azmin Ali announces the PKR candidate for Balingian by-election. On his right is state PKR head Baru Bian while on his left are Abdul Jalil and Kassim Masin.
SIBU: PKR will field Melanau businessman Abdul Jalil Bujang in the Balingian by-election.
Announcing this yesterday afternoon was PKR deputy chairman Mohamed Azmin Ali.
Azmin said Abdul Jalil is a businessman cum full-time politician who contested in Jepak in the 10th state election in 2011
He hails from Kampung Lintang in Balingian.
Azmin said the Balingian and Kajang by-elections, with PKR representing the opposition front, would be a national referendum in representing the voice of the people.
“The by-election here will also be a voice that needs to be heard on the lack of infrastructure development in the coastal town. We expect to garner a larger support this time.”
Azmin Ali claimed Balingian lacked development under BN rule in the last 50 years, and local boy Abdul jalil, who had been working in the private sector, understood the people’s needs and aspirations.
As he went through Abdul Jalil’s biodata, he highlighted that Abdul Jalil had 12 children, adding: “He is a strong man”.
The biodata given out to the press mentioned that two of Abdul Jalil’s children had died, and out of the remaining 10 children, four were girls. His wife is a teacher, and their residence is in Taman Bukit Orang, Bintulu.
Azmin Ali said Abdul Jalil joined PKR a “long time ago”, adding he was a committed politician whom the people could look up to.
“Although the candidate has grown up and stayed in Bintulu, he frequently returned to Balingian, where his family was.”
Abdul Jalil studied at Orang Kaya Mohd Primary School in Bintulu from 1966 to 1970 before proceeding to Bintulu Secondary School in 1971. He studied at Tun Datuk Patinggi Tuanku Hj Bujang College from 1976 to 1977.
He worked at Sarawak Shell, Sarawak Pulp Industries, Malaysia LNG and Science Tech Solutions before.
Azmin Ali, who is also Gombak MP and Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman, said Abdul Jalil was one of three potential candidates they considered for the by-election.
He said the other was Kassim Masin, PKR Mukah Branch chairman.
“After we picked Abdul Jalil, Kassim agreed to work as a team to ensure PKR do well in the by-election.”
In the 2011 state election in Jepak, Abdul Jalil obtained 2,342 votes, losing to PBB’s Datuk Talip Zulpilip, who garnered 5,470 votes, in the five-cornered fight.
The other candidates were Ramli Melaka from SNAP (433 votes), independent candidates Abdul Kuddus Ramlee (477 votes) and Awang Abdillah Awang Nassar (89 votes).
In the 2011 state election in Balingian, Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, who was appointed Yang di-Pertua Negeri on March 1, retained the seat in a three-corner fight by beating PKR’s Suriati Abdullah and independent candidate Datuk Salleh Jafaruddin with a majority of 5,154 votes.