KUCHING, Oct 10 — Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) will be fielding a number of new faces in the upcoming 15th General Election.

Its whip, Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said the announcement would be made by Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg, who is also chairman of the coalition.

“As usual at GPS, we will leave it to our premier, who is also the GPS chairman, to determine the line-up of candidates for this coalition in the upcoming general election.

“Some have offered not to contest anymore, meaning, there will be new faces but I am not sure how many,” he said after attending a “Rindok Ati” media event with the Petra Jaya community, organised by the Information Department, here, today.

Fadillah, who is also senior works minister, said the GPS election machinery, was already prepared to face the GE15 anytime as the last state election was held only recently.

“I believe that everyone is ready for the upcoming GE15 and our election machinery has been ordered to get ready for any possibility, whether it’s this year or next,” added Fadillah, who is also Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) senior vice-president.

However, this afternoon, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Yaakob announced the dissolution of the 14th Parliament to make way for GE15, the date of which will be announced soon.

PBB which is currently heading the GPS, has 13 Members of Parliament, while its three other components are Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) with two parliamentary seats; Parti Demokratik Progresif (PDP), also with two seats and Parti Rakyat Bersatu Sarawak (SUPP), with one seat.

In the GE14, PBB contested 14 parliamentary seats, SUPP (seven), PRS (six) and PDP (four). — Bernama