Awang Tengah being welcomed by the villagers of Kpg Pueh upon his arrival yesterday.
SEMATAN: Voters in Tanjong Datu especially from the Bidayuh community have been advised to translate their voices into votes to ensure a convincing win by BN candidate Datin Patinggi Datuk Jamilah Anu in the by-election.
PBB acting deputy president Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said they should not just say they support BN but they must come out during the polling day on Feb 18 to vote for BN.
“Your strong voices to support our BN candidate Datuk Amar Jamilah Anu must be translated into votes so that she will win in this by-election with even bigger majority,” Awang Tengah told the people when speaking at the ‘leader meet the people’ gathering at Kpg Pueh longhouse some 15 km from here yesterday.
He reminded the people not to be complacent as it could spell disaster like what happened when former deputy chief minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr Wong Soon Khai lost in the 1996 state election as the voters were too confident of his victory.
“So we cannot repeat the same mistake. Instead, come in full force to make sure that Kak Milah will win and be able to continue the plan that has been put in place by our late Tok Nan,” he stressed.
Awang Tengah, who is also the Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment, assured the people of Kpg Pueh that he would assist them in their request for their village to be surveyed and be given titles under the traditional village initiative as the village was established in 1875.
“On top of that, our Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg has approved an allocation of RM3 million to provide temporary pipes for your water supply. This is the immediate step that the government is taking to remedy your problem
(of storage of water),” he said, adding that for the long term, an allocation of RM129 million as announced recently by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak would be used to provide a solution to their water woes.
Awang Tengah took a swipe at both STAR and PBDS Baru candidates for their political stunts in raising issues that the state government led by Abang Johari had undertaken to resolve.
“As our new captain, Datuk Amar Abang Jo who took over from Tok Nan will continue our struggle for greater autonomy from the federal government. And at the same time, the state government will continue to survey the NCR lands which have been recognised all this while. Just don’t ask for all the land that we have in Sarawak because that would be ridiculous,” he stressed.
Johnny Aput of STAR has been harping about greater autonomy for Sarawak based on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) while PBDS Baru’s Rafelson Richard Hamid has been dwelling on the NCR land issue.
State Legislative Assembly speaker Datuk Amar Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar and Kpg Pueh headman Eran Suut also spoke at the function.
Others present at the function were Opar assemblyman Dato Ranum Mina, Bukit Semuja assemblyman John Ilus and former Saribas assemblyman Dato Dr Wahbi Junaidi.