Majority of voters behind Jamilah

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Cr Chen Chung Yee

Cr Chen Chung Yee

LUNDU: The majority of voters in Tanjong Datu will back BN candidate Datin Patinggi Datuk Amar Jamilah Anu if there is a contest so that she can be considered for a full ministerial post.

Chairman of Lundu Chung Hua Primary School Board Cr Chen Chung Yee said he was confident that Jamilah would be able to garner more than 90 per cent of Chinese votes.

“It will be a landslide victory for Datin Patinggi Datuk Amar Jamilah. I believe she will be given 80 to 90 per cent support from the whole constituency. As for the Chinese community, it will be  more than 90 per cent,” Chen, who is also Lundu District councillor told The Borneo Post yesterday.

One of the reasons he put forth for the strong Chinese support was that the community would transfer their respect and love for the late chief minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem into votes for Jamilah.

“Adenan was very popular among the Chinese community. Since he first came to our constituency in 2006, he had been celebrating Chinese New Year with us. There are 59 associations and NGOs here and he gave us funding every year.

“Then, he brought a lot of projects including the waterfront, the town square and Centre of Technical Excellence Sarawak to the area.

“Jamilah has been going around with Adenan. Even before his passing, she was already representing him on many occasions. She knows the projects and the constituency very well. She is the most suitable candidate.”

According to the April 2016 statistics, out of the 9,899 registered voters, 53.2 per cent are Malays. Chinese voters take up 17.6 per cent while Ibans 18.9 per cent,  Bidayuhs 9.8 per cent and others 2.3 per cent.

Penghulu Ibrahim Suni also pledged full support on behalf of the Malay community for Jamilah.

Cr Benjamin Gersit

Cr Benjamin Gersit

“Since 2006, Jamilah has been visiting all of the Malay villages with Datuk Adenan. She is friendly and approachable. There is no protocol where she is concerned. Not only the Malays, but all the ethnic communities in Lundu like her.  She exults this ‘mother figure’ image which has earned our respect.”

He said the Malays in Lundu would go all out to support Datuk Jamilah if there were a contest though he believed that no one would be able to beat her.

“We hope she will get at least an assistant ministerial post if not a full minister. We understand that being an assistant minister or a full minister, she will be given more allocations to enable her to continue with Datuk Adenan’s projects and speed up the projects,” said Ibrahim.

Meanwhile, Councillor Benjamin Gersit said the Iban community would also be giving their full support to Jamilah.

“Datuk Adenan had put a proper plan in place for Lundu and Datuk Amar Jamilah is the only person who can continue the implementation of the plans,” said Benjamin.

He said Jamilah had never sidelined the Iban community when she was serving the constituency as Adenan’s wife.

“Any opportunity that other communities are enjoying, we are part of it. We share the same development plans that everybody has. We feel very comfortable with her and the way she is treating our community as a whole.

Tanjong Datu by-election is called following the passing of Adenan on Jan 11. Today is nomination day and polling day has been set on Feb 18.

State BN chairman Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg announced Jamilah as the BN candidate on Wednesday.

Amid wide speculation that it may be a walkover due to the popularity of Adenan and thus sympathy votes for Jamilah, State Reform Party Sarawak has expressed that it would send a candidate to enter the fray.