KUCHING, Feb 5 ― Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is leaving it to Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem to allocate seats for the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) and for its offshoot, the United People's Party (UPP), in the state election, UPP said today.

UPP deputy president Datuk Dr Jerip Susil said Najib, who is also the Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, gave Adenan the mandate at a meeting that was also attended by SUPP president Senator Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian and UPP president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh in Putrajaya last Wednesday.

“Whoever is picked from SUPP and UPP to contest will be members of the Adenan team who will go to the polls in April,” Jerip, who is also Sarawak assistant minister of public health, told Malay Mail Online.

“We wholeheartedly agree with the decision to mandate the chief minister to select candidates from SUPP and UPP to contest on the Barisan Nasional's symbol,” he added.

He said UPP believed that Adenan would pick candidates who can win seats for the ruling BN and who are acceptable to voters.

“There is no point for a party to insist on its candidates to contest on the Barisan's ticket when you know very well that they are not going to win seats for the Barisan,” Jerip said, adding that he has great confidence that he will again be asked to defend his Mambong (formerly Bengoh) seat in the elections.

Adenan told reporters yesterday that he had  “very good meeting” with the prime minister on the 11th state elections, but would announce the outcome at a later date.

Malay Mail Online could not reach Sim for comment on his meeting with Wong, Adenan and Najib.

In the 2011 state elections, SUPP contested in 19 seats, but lost 13 of them to the opposition.

UPP was formed in 2014 by Wong, who is also the state minister of local government and community development, following a leadership tussle in SUPP.

Adenan, who is also the Sarawak BN chairman, has proposed to the Election Commission to have polling day on April 30 and nomination day on April 18.

He is expected to advise Sarawak Governor Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud to dissolve the state assembly some time next month to pave the way for the elections.