Prior to nomination day, the Batang Ai by-election was touted as going down in history as a litmus test of PKR’s acceptance among the people of Sarawak, especially the Dayaks.

Pundits said a victory for PKR, after its March 8, 2008 surge on the Peninsula, would trigger a chain reaction that would unhinge the existing political configuration in Sarawak, now heavily tilted in favour of Parti Bumiputera Bersatu (PPB), the dominant force in the ruling BN coalition.

Two days after nominations, another factor began staking its claim to making this by-election unique in the political annals of Sarawak.