LEON Jimat Donald is an avid believer of the phrase “third time lucky”.

He will be standing in the Simanggang seat in the upcoming Sarawak elections, despite two unsuccessful attempts.

The DAP candidate is hoping his third time will be the charm needed to clinch the Dayak-majority seat of 13,244 voters.

“God willing,” he told The Malaysia Insight.

However, it will be no easy task. Donald will have to beat five-term incumbent Francis Harden Hollis from Sarawak United Peoples’ Party, a component of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).

The former four-term Barisan Nasional (BN) Sri Aman MP Jimmy Donald’s son first contested the seat in 2011, during which he lost to Harden in a straight fight by a 2,474-vote majority.

His second attempt saw an even more shattering result – he scraped only 695 votes of the 8,075 votes cast in the elections in 2016, which also saw internal conflict causing Pakatan Harapan allies DAP and PKR to both stand in the seat.

PKR’s Norina Umoi Utot bagged only 580 votes, while Independent Ngu Piew Seng bagged 2,706. But none could stop Harden, who got 4,094 votes, clinching this fifth term.

The Simanggang seat will see another four-way fight this time around, with Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) and Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) joining the fray.

PBK has fielded Peli Aron and PSB, Wilson Entabang.

Donald, in an interview with a local daily, said he already has three priorities set for Simanggang should he win the seat – cash crops, education and housing.

“Simanggang folk want affordable and better quality homes,” he said, adding that housing is available only via private developers.

“Simanggang’s idle state land must be converted to resettlement schemes, so the people can build affordable homes and residential areas.”

He said he will also push for more cash crops and alternative incomes for rural farmers.

Foe-turned-ally

Norina will also see her third attempt at being elected in the upcoming state elections.

The ex-PKR member – one of hundreds of grassroots leaders who left the party post-Sheraton Move – was fielded in the Sri Aman parliamentary seat in the 14^th general election, despite her dismal showing in the state elections in 2016.

She did better, winning 8,321 votes, but was still unable to beat incumbent Masir Kujat, who won 14,141 votes and successfully retained his seat.

Norina is now with PSB and has been fielded in the Dayak-majority Bukit Begunan seat, where she will attempt to dethrone five-term incumbent Mong Dagang of GPS.

She will also face off against Vinton Langang Sangga of PBK and Entusa Imam of Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru.

In the political merry-go-round in Sarawak, Norina and former BN-Parti Rakyat Sarawak man Kujat are now pals in PSB.

The party is fielding Kujat in Balai Ringin, where he will face a three-cornered fight with incumbent Snowdan Lawan (GPS) and Kasim Mana (PBK). – December 13, 2021.