Registered 892,537 DAP SNAP Bukit Assek Bukit Saban (lost) | Turnout 552,350 (61.89%) 26 March 1981 (1981-03-26) 12 February 2001 Date 20 May 2006 | |
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12 February 2001 18 May 2003 (2003-05-18) Winner Abdul Taib Mahmud | ||
The ninth Sarawak state election was held on Saturday, 20 May 2006 with nomination day on Tuesday, 9 May 2006. The election functioned to elect 71 representatives to the Sarawak State Assembly (Dewan Undangan Negeri in Malay). The eighth state assembly was dissolved by Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak, Tun Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Abang Barieng by the advice of Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, on 24 April 2006.
Contents
On nomination day, Barisan Nasional won two seats without contest.
This election saw 892,537 voters eligible to cast their ballots.
The previous state election was held in 2001, when the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) won 60 out of 62 seats in the eighth state assembly. The Democratic Action Party won one, while another went to an independent candidate. The eighth state assembly's mandate would expire on 18 November 2006, necessitating the calling of an election beforehand.
Barisan Nasional fielded candidates for all 71 seats:
A total of 28 seats was contested by Sarawak National Party (SNAP), followed by People's Justice Party (PKR) (25 seats), Democratic Action Party (DAP) (12 seats), and Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (1 seat). There were 20 independents contesting for 16 seats.
The opposition parties
People's Justice Party (PKR), Sarawak National Party (SNAP) and Malaysian Dayak Congress (MDC) teamed up to form the Sarawak United Front (Malay: Barisan Bersatu Sarawak). MDC, being one of the two parties split from the deregistered Sarawak Dayak People's Party, was newly formed and awaiting for registration approval. So they have to contest under the SNAP ticket.
Although Democratic Action Party and Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party did not join the coalition, they managed to negotiate with the coalition over the contesting of seats so that they could challenge BN one-to-one. Another Sarawak local opposition party, the State Reform Party (STAR), failed the negotiation and decided not to contest in the election.
Results by party
Out of 71 seats, only 69 seats saw contests between various candidates. Two seats – namely Daro and Dalat – were won uncontested by candidates from Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu, a component party in Barisan Nasional.
List of state assemblymen
1Johnichal Rayong, who won the N28 Engkilili seat on SNAP ticket, joined SUPP in December 2010, contributed another seat for BN.
2Dublin Unting, the state assemblyman for N29 Batang Ai, died at the Normah Medical Specialist Centre, Kuching on 24 February 2009 after a coma. This resulted in the necessity to call for a by-election. Malcolm Mussen Lamoh later successfully defended the seat for Barisan Nasional.
3Gabriel Adit Demong previously an independent for N43 Ngemah constituency joined PKR in November 2008. He later quit PKR and joined Parti Cinta Malaysia in December 2009.
4Larry Sng, who won the N54 Pelagus seat for BN, was sacked by Sarawak Peoples Party (PRS) in 2007. Although partyless, Sng is regarded as a loyal member of BN by Abdul Taib Mahmud, the chairman of Sarawak BN coalition.