Adenan (second right) meeting up with Najib (left) after the nomination for Tanjung Datu constituency at Lundu District Office closed yesterday.
LUNDU: BN winning two seats uncontested on nomination day yesterday will boost the morale of the ruling coalition to win with a bigger majority and to continue governing the state.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem said the BN went into the 11th state polls confident it would win big and continue to be the next government.
“The initial signs are very good. All our 82 candidates have been accepted by the election commission as qualified candidates,” he told a press conference after nomination for Tanjung Datu closed yesterday.
“And I have just heard the news that in two areas BN won uncontested in Bukit Sari and Bukit Kota by Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan and Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail respectively.”
Adenan opined the BN could perform much better this time around as the opposition was perceived to be in disarray.
“I think there is some degree of disarray in some areas. The DAP is contesting against PKR or they put up independent candidate against each other. There is some degree of confusion in their midst,” said Adenan, who has held the seat since 2006.
He rated the chance of the opposition candidate winning Tanjung Datu as “very slim”.
“I rate the chance of the opposition as very slim, judging from the record. I think they just want to tie me down and hoped they can win the seat.”
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak considered the state election a precursor to the 14th general election (GE14), which is due by 2018.
“The Sarawak State election is a precursor of GE14. It certainly will add confidence to the outcome of GE14. But it is not a guarantee. So, we will not take it for granted. We still have to win in all the other states, but Sarawak is certainly important for us.
“And with the anticipated success in Sarawak, it will certainly form a strong momentum for us to move forward towards GE14,” added Najib.
Meanwhile, it will be a straight fight for Adenan against PKR candidate Jazulkifli Numan in Tanjung Datu.
Earlier, Adenan together with Najib led a huge procession from a nearby surau to the Lundu community hall that was used as the nomination centre.
Adenan, who was accompanied by his proposer Abu Seman Karim and seconder Abdul Razak Abdul Wahab, then went to the nomination centre at 9.25 am.
The large crowd repeatedly chanted `Hidup Adenan’, `Hidup Barisan’ and `You You’. These chants could be heard from afar and it paled the presence of Jazulkifli and his proposer Mohd Sabtu Baharin and seconder Razali Bujang, who arrived at the nomination centre at 9.07 am.
Tanjung Datu has 9,894 eligible voters. In the last state election, Adenan won the seat with a majority of 3,216 votes in a three-cornered fight against independent candidate Gilbert Asson and Nani Sahari of PAS.
