Grassroots community leaders reciting their pledge to serve the people. Temenggong Chek Bujang is at fourth right.
Adenan (second left) receiving the scroll from Temenggong Chek Bujang after community leaders recited their pledge to serve the people. With them are Morshidi (left) and Manyin (fourth left). — Photos by Chimon Upon
KUCHING: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem indicated yesterday that the 11th state election, which must be called by June next year, would be his last.
“After serving for one more term, God willing, I would like to step down because I am now 71 years old, and after five years, I will be 76. It’s enough for me,” he said at the Grassroots Leadership Seminar (Samarahan Division) held here yesterday.
“We have taken many positive initiatives in this one year, such as the reduction of electricity tariffs, abolishment of toll, exemption of goods and services tax (GST) on council services, and the uniform of ferry charges to RM1.
“If I were given the chance to lead the state for another five years, I will see to the implementation of more initiatives for the people of Sarawak.”
With the state polls looming, Adenan, who is also state BN chairman, advised the people to vote for elected representatives whom they were familiar with.
“If we love our state, we will choose people we know; the people who are familiar with us, and not those who receive instructions from Peninsular Malaysia.
“We don’t want parties like DAP, PKR, PAS and even Umno from Peninsular Malaysia to come here and disrupt our harmony because who knows Sarawak more than us Sarawakians?
“I may not know about other states, but I know everything about Sarawak from A to Z.”
He pointed out that Sarawakians who love the state must protect her from threats by people who did not have strong principles and were out to destroy the peace and harmony prevailing in the state.
“We are Sarawakians, and therefore, we know more about our state than those people from Peninsular Malaysia.
“But this is not to say that we don’t support the federal government. We do, but we should do it our way and not follow what Peninsular Malaysians are trying to tell us to do.”
About 400 grassroots community leaders from Samarahan division attended the seminar, which was the third to be held after Kuching and Sibu.
Present were State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Morshidi Abdul Ghani, Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communication Dato Sri Michael Manyin and Assistant Minister of Rural Development: Datuk Julaihi Narawi.