Adenan (third left), flanked by his wife Datin Patinggi Datuk Jamilah Anu and Dr Sim, smiles for the camera. Lo is at Dr Sim’s right.— Photo by Muhammad Rais Sanusi
KUCHING: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem has hinted that Senator Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian will be appointed a minister if he succeeds in wresting Batu Kawah from the opposition on the May 7 polls.
“My name is Adenan Satem — I want the Chinese to be in the government. So vote for SUPP and not DAP to have Chinese representation in the government.
“So you have to choose. Dr Sim is smiling because he knows if he wins, he would become a minister like his father the late Tan Sri Datuk Amar Sim Kheng Hong. Win (the election) first,” he told a huge crowd during a leader-meet-people session at Kuching City Mall here last night.
The gathering also marked the first time that Adenan, who is also state Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, rendered his support for SUPP election campaign.
Adenan called upon the Chinese to cast their votes wisely as he reminded them: “This is Adenan Satem, not the white hair.”
The ‘white hair’ refers to his predecessor Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.
“The only thing I have with ‘white hair’ is good relationship with him. He doesn’t tell me what to do. He tells me that I am the chief minister of Sarawak, that I do it my own way.
“He says if I need his advice, he will give his advice. If I don’t need it, he will keep quiet.”
Adenan therefore hoped that Sarawakians would support BN candidates in giving him a big mandate to speak up to Putrajaya.
He rebutted the opposition slogan ‘A vote for Adenan means a vote for Najib’ by pointing out that Sarawakians were electing their chief minister; not the prime minister.
He then appealed to the crowd to vote for BN men including Dr Sim, Lo Khere Chiang (Batu Kitang), Peter Pau (Padungan) and Wilfred Yap (Kota Sentosa), who were with him during the session.