There is a fever in Sarawak and it is called Adenan fever – one huge billboard at a traffic roundabout stands out among the other flying rockets asking “where is the 2.6b”.
In the 2011 state election, the BN has used the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak riding on his popularity against the opposition’s attack on its government under the previous Chief Minister.
Despite that, BN was dealt with a big blow as DAP triumphantly sent 12 rockets into the state legislative assembly won in the urban Chinese majority seats.
In contrast to the last election, this time the state BN has to distance itself from Najib and insist that the national issues of 1MDB controversies and Najib’s unexplained multi-billion ringgit in his personal account had nothing to do with the present state election. BN has been riding on the popularity of Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem who in his two years in office has implemented 53 initiatives including people centric measures such as lowering of electricity tariff, abolishment of tolls and minimal charge on ferry and also the reduction of house assessments and land rents.
Besides that Adenan also implemented many initiatives for the Chinese community including the recognition of Chinese UEC qualification in state civil services and for application for Sarawak Foundation scholarships. However, the opposition has consistently used the 1MDB issues, GST and Najib factors months ahead and throughout its election campaign.
Sarawakians have made their decision through the ballot boxes yesterday. The Adenan fever burned fiercely and helped BN wrest five urban Chinese majority seats from the DAP, namely Piasau, Meradong, Sarikei, Dudong and Batu Kawah while retaining Bawan Assan and Senadin and winning the new seat of Batu Kitang. The number of votes polled by BN in DAP stronghold of Kota Sentosa, Pending, Padungan and Palawan also increased.
DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang has tweeted: “It’s going to be grim long night as 11th Sarawak GE results come in – a test of resilience, perseverance and stamina in political struggle.”
The swing of votes shows that Chinese appreciate the initiatives of Adenan but believe that they still need the voice of the opposition. Sarawakians also believe that the state election is a state affair, that they want Adenan to lead them in fighting for more autonomy and that they reject the culture of certain Peninsular Malaysian parties.
Sarawakians, the peace-loving people who live in harmony, feel deeply for the six victims and their families of the helicopter crash two days before the polls. However, many were rudely awakened by cruel remarks made by opposition supporters in the peninsula.
When the helicopter crash was reported by a news portal, some hundred over readers commented, 80 per cent believed that these people deserved it because they were with the BN, another 10 per cent expressed their wish that it was someone they hated in the helicopter, the remaining 10 per cent offered their sympathies.
The swing of votes is also a sign that Sarawakians are resisting the culture of hatred of a certain West Malaysian opposition party and its supporters. Adenan fever has a strong resistance to Najib cold bugs and hate culture of the opposition supporters!
Can Najib use the Sarawak poll result to cushion himself from the fierce criticisms and call for him to step down?
Surely Adenan fever has not much effect in the rural areas with PKR making inroads even with the flood of goodies into the constituencies two days before the polling as evidenced in the seat of Ba Kelalan.
Baru Bian, the PKR chairman and also incumbent has nothing but faith to call on the Christians in Ba Kelalan to be steadfast and to hold on to their integrity and pride and that voting for the opposition will ensure that BN government will pay more attention to the people’s grouses and finally consider the basic amenities. Baru won beautifully with increased majority.
As BN and Team Adenan hold high on their achievements in the polls, it’s also timely for them to do some soul searching on the inroads made by PKR into the rural areas. They have not much time with the general election looming in two years’ time.