Students wave the Jalur Gemilang and Sarawak flags during the Malaysia Day celebration in Sematan. — All photos by Chimon Upon
Jabu (second left), together with Adenan (centre) and Land Development Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing (left), waves the Malaysia and Sarawak flags during the airing of the Jalur Gemilang song. Also seen are (from fourth left) Jamilah and Jabu’s wife Dato Sri Empiang.
LUNDU: The approval rating among Sarawakians for Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem remains strong and is expected to improve further ahead of the next state election.
Adenan’s administration will also continue to gain support from throughout the state, especially the rural community, due to its strong emphasis on developing the rural community, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang said.
The Rural Development Minister pointed out that Adenan’s popularity was soaring judging from the declaration of strong support for Adenan in social media and the frequent chanting of his famous phrases ‘ooh-ha’ and ‘you, you’ by the public at functions graced by the chief minister.
Jabu stressed that Adenan was fair in his governance and very serious in closing the economic and development gap between urban and rural areas.
“How not to call you beloved sir? Many people love you. In fact, all the races throughout the state fully support our chief minister.
“This is evident when the general public can be seen adopting our chief minister’s famous chant of ‘ooh-ha’ and ‘you, you’, which can be heard every time during functions and events graced by the chief minister,” he said when delivering his speech at the state-level Malaysia Day celebration at Sematan, some 25 kilometres from here on Wednesday.
Among the crowd of over 10,000 attending the event were Adenan, his wife Datin Patinggi Datuk Jamilah Anu and other state dignitaries.
Lauding Adenan’s effort in asking for devolution of powers to the state government, Jabu believed this would ensure that Sarawak’s development could match that of the peninsula.
He took a swipe at the opposition for not supporting Adenan’s rural development effort, when they rejected the state government’s request for additional budget of RM500 million from the State Legislative Assembly this year.
In this regard, Jabu called on the people to reject the opposition’s political culture he branded as aggressive and unhealthy.
“The opposition does not support the government’s rural development initiative. We will fight the opposition and their unhealthy politics,” he continued.
Adenan, in his speech, lauded the strong racial unity among the diverse community in Sarawak. He was proud that people of all races in the state could work together, making the state a perfect model of unity in diversity.
Grateful for the strong working relationship accorded to him by his state cabinet members, the chief minister described Jabu as very loyal, steadfast and very consistent.