KUCHING: The 11th state election would likely be held early next year.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem hinted on TV3’s ‘Question and Answer’ programme on Wednesday that there were several factors to be considered including the federal and state budget announcements at the end of the fiscal year and the rainy season in December. “The State Legislative Assembly expires on June 20, 2016. It means that the election needs to be called within 60 days … so the state has until August,” he said.
“Maybe in the early part of next year. I believe this hint of the date could be happy news for all.”
On the 11 new seats to be included in the state election, Adenan pointed out that the majority of the seats are in rural areas in order to amplify the voices of rural folk.
“Like I’ve repeatedly reiterated, there is a lot of catching up to do in the rural areas, which have been left behind from overall development. Our focus is to close the social and economic gap between the rural and urban areas as much as possible,” he said.
Having led Sarawak for 17 months now, Adenan said he was not bothered with the accusations of gerrymandering by certain parties, because his priority is to give people in rural areas a bigger voice.
“The first thought that came to mind when I think of Sarawak’s future is how can I help the poor and vulnerable groups get out from poverty.
“The issues between urban and rural areas are different, their concerns are different,” he said.
As such, Adenan reiterated that the government is committed and strives to serve the poor.
“Poverty in Sarawak is still high compared to other parts of Malaysia. There would be a bias to measure per capita income in rural Sarawak as there cannot be a single generalisation,” he said.
On whether Sarawak still remains a ‘safe deposit’ for BN, Adenan said he is optimistic of a big win for BN considering its track record.
“I believe the people still trust and have faith in the BN government even though things have been twisted a little. There may be a little chip here and there but not to be worried (about),” he said.
“Even the opposition also has the same problem. They are now in disarray without proper direction. There are a lot issues being manipulated by the opposition but we believe they will not influence the people, especially in rural areas.”