CELEBRATING POLLS VICTORY: Entri (centre) is joined by longhouse chiefs, councilors and others in cutting the cake at Rumah Morgan in Sungai Nipa in Bakong.
BAKONG: Rural voters in the state did the right thing when they voted for Barisan Nasional (BN) candidates in the last state election to form the state government instead of being duped by the opposition parties.
Assistant Minister of Public Utilities (Water Supply) Sylvester Entri Muran, who was returned for his third term as Marudi assemblyman, said they would have been left in a dilemma if they had followed the urban voters who voted for the opposition.
He said the opposition had tried to convince Sarawakians that they would take over the state government by spreading rumours that the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and the state BN would be defeated.
“BN went on to win 55 out of the 71 seats, which is more than two-thirds majority, and those in rural seats such as Marudi, wisely picked BN, otherwise they would be left blinking and counting the cost if they had followed the urban trend,” he said at the BN thanksgiving celebration at Rumah Morgan in Bakong over the weekend.
Entri explained that the urban setting was different from rural Sarawak as the people there were already comfortable with infrastructure and amenities while those in the rural areas still depended on the BN government to deliver development.
He said his majority of 3,898 votes could have been higher if the Chinese voters in Marudi were not divided, as he won by only 10 votes in Marudi town.
“We had expected SNAP and independent candidates to lose their deposits but it did not happen in the case of the relatively unknown PKR candidate who had most of his votes from Marudi town,” he said.
BN won in all the longhouses except for three in Marudi.
Entri, a hands-on assemblyman, said he looked forward to the continuous feedback from longhouse chiefs and the people on the ground to bring Marudi to a new level.
“I want to hear from longhouse chiefs at functions, even if they say or ask the same thing as I want to know as most importantly, I want you all to progress and uplift your socio-economic standard,” he said.
He urged his constituents to give top priority to education of their children.
He also told the rural populace to reject quarters attempting to stir up emotions, particularly those associated with MoCS (Movement of Change, Sarawak) and its leader Francis Siah who has called for the duly-elected chief minister to step down or face mass demonstration.
“He has no strength as he did not stand in the elections, did not win and has no locus standi to make the call and rural people should stay away from MoCS and their likes in Selangor or Penang,” he said.
“This is our land, our state, and the people have spoken in the elections and chose BN, and we can’t run to Semenanjung Malaysia,” he said.
Entri said he was personally going back to the people who had given him their mandate , adding similar celebrations had been lined up for Sungai Liam, Long Jegan and Ulu Teru before Gawai Dayak on June 1, followed by Pengelayan later.