Joseph Blandoi to replace Paulus Gumbang in Batu Danau?

KUCHING, March 24 2026: Speculations are being viralled on social media that incumbent Paulus Gumbang may be replaced by  a state-government linked statutory authority general manager Joseph Blandoi in Batu Danau in the next state election.

Caption: Salcra general manager Joseph Blandoi is among the names being floated to contest in Batu Danau on GPS ticket in the state election 

Paulus, 75, won the Batu Danau seat in the 2011 state election on a Sarawak Democratic Progressive Party (SPDP)- Barisan Nasional (BN) ticket.

However, he and three other leaders were later sacked following an uprising against the party leadership.

The others were Rosey Yunos (Bekenu), Peter Nansian Ngusie (Tasik Biru) and Sylvester

Entri Muran (Marudi).

Under the directive of the then Chief Minister Adenan Satem, SPDP reinstated them to ensure political stability in the BN.

However, their membership in SPDP was uncertain and a result, Paulus and Rosey contested in the 2016 state election as direct candidates of the BN while Nansian and Entrie did not contest.

After the 2016, Paulus and Rosey were accepted as PBB members.

At the moment, there is no indication to say that Paulus will not defend his seat.

According to an analysis by “Sarawak First”, Batu Danau is increasingly seen as one of the seats that is most likely to undergo a reform process ahead of the upcoming state election.

In the 2016 state election, Paulus won Batu Danau with a majority of 2,939 votes, but in the 2021 state election, that majority has shrunk to just 706 votes, indicating that the voters wanted a change of their elected representative from GPS.

Among the names that have cropped up to replace Paulus as GPS candidates was Jopseh Blandoi.

Apart from being the general manager of Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra), he is also the president of Sarawak Bisaya Association and chairman of the Sarawak Oil Palm Plantation Owners Association (SOPPOA).

Blandoi has a close relationship with the state government leadership, especially Deputy Premier and PBB deputy president Douglas Uggah and Minister of Food Industries, Commodity and Regional Development and PBB senior vice president Dr Stephen Rundie.