SELANGAU MP Baru Bian looks set to continue as Sarawak PKR chief for another three years amid speculations that Julau MP Larry Sng has the backing of party president Anwar Ibrahim to take over.

The public scolding Anwar gave Baru at last weekend’s party congress further fuelled speculation of a fallout between the works minister and his party president.

“It won’t happen (Sng taking over). It’s not going to happen,” one of Baru’s trusted lieutenants See Chee How said today.

See, who is Batu Lintang assemblyman, said the recent party election showed Sng, who only joined the party after the May general election, would not be able to muster enough support to even be considered for the post.

The controversial party elections, dogged by alleged cheating, lost votes, phantom voters and buying of votes, showed that 24 of the 29 divisions in Sarawak were aligned to Baru and new deputy president Azmin Ali.

Of the five divisions that threw their support for the failed deputy presidential contender Rafizi Ramli, three have a Sng as divisional chiefs – Julau where Sng ousted the incumbent, his father Chee Hua in Sarikei and Larry’s uncle Chee Eng in the family bastion of Kapit.

See said Sng could not count on the support of Anwar for the post as the state chief is decided by the 29 divisional chiefs and not party president.

The selection, unlike in the peninsular where the president decides, is due to the autonomy given to the party’s Sarawak and Sabah chapters in 2014.

“Easily more than 20 divisions support Baru,” See said as the state leadership council prepares to meet next month to finalise their leadership hierarchy. – November 23, 2018.