Speculation is rife that several politicians will contest new seats in Malaysia’s upcoming 15th General Election.
Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, however, is leaving it to the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu Sarawak (PBB) leadership to decide if she would be given the opportunity to defend her Batang Sadong parliamentary seat, or be placed elsewhere.
“If I’m allowed to stand in the elections, I will gladly serve anywhere the party leadership sees fit,” said Nancy, who is Wanita PBB vice-chief.
“In Sarawak, it is not our culture to demand seats, or say where we want to run. The party leadership will decide that. I want to continue serving the people, it does not matter where.
“I will give my best wherever that may be.”
There are talks that Nancy is “open” to contesting elsewhere.
Covering some 1,031sq km, Batang Sadong has three state seats – Sadong Jaya, Simunjan, and Gedong.
Nancy won the Batang Sadong parliamentary seat in the last three elections, each time with a larger majority.
In 2008, she garnered 8,183 votes to defeat PKR’s Piee Ling who polled 2,758, a 5,425-vote difference. Five years later, Nancy won 13,277 votes to defeat PKR’s Mohamad Jolhi, who won 2,017 votes, a difference of 11,260.
Nancy won a three-cornered fight in 2018, when 14,208 voters chose her ahead of Parti Amanah Negara’s Othman Mustapha @ Mos (1,880) and Pas’ Asan Singkro (978).
Several other heavyweights may also contest elsewhere after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob dissolved Parliament yesterday.
Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan wants Khairy Jamaluddin’s Rembau parliamentary seat, forcing the latter to find a new seat. Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim may also give up his Port Dickson seat, as talks heighten that he may run in Tambun, Perak.
There are also murmurs that Charles Santiago may be replaced by another DAP member to contest in Klang – a seat Santiago has occupied over the past three terms.
The Election Commission has yet to announce the nomination and polling dates for the much-anticipated 15th General Election. GE15 must be held within 60 days of the dissolution of Parliament.
Meanwhile, Nancy, who is the caretaker Tourism, Arts and Culture minister, visited the Splendours of Malay World Textiles Exhibition at Menara Ken, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, in Kuala Lumpur, today.
The exhibition showcases 12 categories of Malay textiles – Songket (brocade), Limar (weft ikat), Telepuk (gold leaf applique), Tekatan (embroidery), Pelangi (tie-dye), Ikat Loseng (warp ikat), Tenunan (plain weave of stripes and checks), Linangkit (tapestry), Cetakan (prints), Batik (wax resist), Renda (lace) and Anyaman (woven unspun plant fibre). It ends on Oct 30.
Nancy expressed her amazement at the length and breadth of the collection owned, and curated by John Ang. She was intrigued by the stories behind some of the textiles on display.
“This wonderful collection is a fantastic archival repository that offers Malaysians and those from the rest of the world a unique opportunity to see some of the world’s finest examples of Malay textiles,” she said.
“I hope more Malaysians will visit the exhibition because it will give you a renewed sense of the diversity and interconnectedness of the larger Malay world, and hopefully inspire younger Malaysians to learn and maybe draw on the beauty of the intricate weaves and motifs of yesteryear to design contemporary fashion.”
Nancy hopes more youngsters will appreciate the history of textiles and learn how to create them, as it is a dying art.
Tickets to the exhibition are RM30 and can be purchased from johnang.com.my.
