BINTULU, Oct 16 — The late Jepak incumbent Datuk Talib Zulpilip was one of the candidates who had contributed to the landslide victory of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) in the last state election, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg.

In the last state election, GPS won 76 out of 82 state seats.

While remembering Talib’s contribution to the state, he said the proposed Jepak Jaya is a brainchild of Talib, who wanted to bring a greater development to the area for it to be similar to Petra Jaya in Kuching.

"Today, Datuk Talib is not with us, he breathed his last when he was still needed to help the government to develop Jepak.

"I know Datuk Talib, he was my friend when he became a civil servant. Datuk Talib contributed a lot towards industrial policies in Sarawak, he was my permanent secretary, after that Datuk Talib was asked to be a candidate by Tun (Pehin Sri Abdul) Taib (Mahmud),” he said during the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) northern zone special convention in Bintulu yesterday.

Abang Johari said the decision to field Talib to contest in Jepak in 1996 was to develop Jepak and Bintulu together with other elected representatives including in Kemena.

Abang Johari pointed out that the construction of Bintulu-Jepak bridge by the Sarawak government would be a catalyst for greater growth to the other side of the Kemena river, which aimed to bring a more organised development in Jepak.

He was also impressed by Talib’s patience despite receiving various pressures sometimes.

"Our struggle is not for personal gain, the struggle is for the state, the struggle for the people, we are not important, the people and the state are more important than ourselves,” he said in honouring the services of Talib and his great personality.

Abang Johari, who is PBB president, admitted even his own, Pehin Sri Adenan Satem and Taib’s political journeys were not smoothly sailing, but for the sake of people, they prioritised the party and were united.

The constituents in Jepak will be heading to the polling station on Nov 4, to cast their votes for the by-election following the demise of their six-term assemblyman on October 15.

Abang Johari, who is GPS chairman when asked by reporters on Sunday has confirmed that a GPS-PBB candidate will be announced in three days, pending the screening by the police and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

Without revealing further details, he said the potential candidate will be a local from the Vaie community.

Meanwhile, PBB senior vice-president Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom earlier handed over 11th resolutions which were agreed by the PBB northern zone during the convention.

The Kemena assemblyman said one of the resolutions was to give Abang Johari the trust and support to decide the best candidate to represent GPS in the coming Jepak by-election.

He said PBB would be working alongside other GPS component parties to ensure a big win for GPS in Jepak. — Borneo Post Online