BN confident of garnering over 92.2 pct of votes cast
LUNDU: Tanjong Datu BN by- election director Dato Sri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar is confident of garnering more than 92.2 per cent of the votes cast for its candidate Datin Patinggi Datuk Amar Jamilah Anu as well 72 per cent voters’ turnout after 13 days of campaigning.
His only worry, however, is the wet weather and the flash flood which would follow after heavy incessant rain.
“We have set two targets for this by- election. Firstly, to beat the late Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem’s record of 92.2 per cent support in the last state election. Secondly, to achieve 72 per cent voters’ turnout on polling day (Feb 18).”
“I am confident of achieving the targets. My only worry is the weather especially heavy rain and the flash flood,” Wan Junaidi told a press conference at the government rest house here yesterday.
He said heavy rain and flash floods would definitely affect the voters’ turnout as BN ‘cannot not pull people out of their bedrooms’ but could only persuade them to turn up to vote.
“If many voters turn up on polling day, then the percentage will be high. With high turnout the majority will be high,” said Wan Junaidi who is Minister of Natural Resources and Environment.
The Tanjong Datu by- election is called following the passing of former chief minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem on Jan 11. A total of 9,771 eligible voters will cast their votes on Feb 18.
It is a three- cornered fight between Jamilah and candidates from State Reform Party Sarawak ( STAR) Johnny Aput and Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru ( PBDS Baru) Rapelson Richard Hamit.
On the general support of voters, Wan Junaidi said since the 2008 General Election, the support has been on the rise, and in 2011 state election, Adenan was able to garner 92.2 per cent support.
He said for this by- election, there were not many thorny local issues which the BN machinery had to handle. The only local issues worth mentioning were the Native Customary Rights ( NCR) land and the setting up of SK Sebat.
For land issues such as the one at Kampung Sungai Limo, Sampadi and other areas, he said they were all settled by BN leaders including Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg and Deputy Chief Minister Douglas Uggah Embas and Second Resource Planning and Environment Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
The only issue left was the setting of SK Sebat which he promised in 2016.
“The people do not understand that it takes time to get a project going. Even for the tender stage alone, it would take seven to eight months. The bigger the project, the more complicated and timeconsuming it will be,” said Wan Junaidi.