Meradong folk advised to stand strongly behind Barisan Nasional candidate
BINTANGOR: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem has assured Meradong constituents that he would only field Barisan Nasional ( BN) candidate who is willing to work hard for and provide efficient service to them.
However, this could only happen if the voters there, especially the Bumiputeras, gave solid support to the coalition in the coming state election.
He stressed that although the Bumiputeras only constituted 40 per cent of the electorate in Meradong, he believed that they could make a difference if they stood united in supporting the BN candidate.
“Your votes are crucial and can be a deciding factor in determining who will win Meradong in the coming election,” Adenan said during a ` Leader Meets People’ session at the town’s basketball stadium yesterday.
Adenan said earlier, he noticed the banner that conveyed the message by the Bumiputera voters in Meradong, in which they wrote how much they wanted BN in the constituency.
“Since you yearned for a BN representative, the only thing you ought to do would be to give your votes to BN,” he said.
On the BN candidate for Meradong, Adenan reminded the people that the person would be the only one allowed to use the coalition’s `dacing’ ( scale) symbol.
“Don’t support other candidates who claim to be from BN component parties, but are using symbols other than the `dacing’. They are not representing BN, so don’t support them.”
Adenan assured Meradong constituents that he would pay special attention to their request for development projects and assistance, as he knew they had lost a lot in this aspect, especially their share of the Minor Rural Project ( MRP) fund. Meradong has been held by the opposition for the past two terms.
At the function, Adenan presented Temporary Occupation Licence (TOL) to 163 participants of Meradong Resettlement Scheme.
Meanwhile chief political secretary to chief minister Abdullah Saidol — who is also the event’s organising chairman — said over the past two terms the people of Meradong, especially the Bumiputeras, had to `beg’ for MRP funds from BN representatives of nearby state constituencies of Jemoreng, Daro, Semop and Belawai, as well as the MPs of Tanjong manis and Igan.
He believed that BN could wrest back Meradong if only the Bumiputera electorate fully backed the BN candidate in the coming state polls.
Later, Abdullah distributed MRP grants totaling RM234,000 to various bodies in the district.
Also at the event were Assistant Minister in Chief Minister’s Office ( Promotion of Technical Education) Datu Len Talif Salleh, Tanjung Manis MP Datuk Norah Tun Rahman and assemblymen Dr Murni Suhaili ( Daro), Abu Seman Jahwie (Jemoreng) and Dr Annuar Rapaee (Nangka).