Wan Junaidi confident PBB will win Tanjung Datu by-election
KUCHING: Santubong MP Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar terms Tanjong Datu as a white area and is confident of BN-PBB retaining the constituency in the coming byelection.
Wan Junaidi, who is Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, said “anyone PBB chooses will win” on Feb 18, which has been fixed for polling.
Met by reporters at PBB headquarters here yesterday, he said the party “understands what kind of candidate needs to be chosen to stand for the election”.
“As far as we’re concerned, Tanjong Datu is a white area, and a very strong PBB area. As far as I’m concerned, my role is to sell the candidate whoever he or she is, and to make sure we can win the election,” he said after being appointed as director for the by-election.
At a press conference after the first PBB meeting chaired by Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg, Wan Junaidi was announced as the election director. Wan Junaidi said he played the same role when the late Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan defended Tanjong Datu in last May election.
“Our election machinery is still in place, so all I need to do is revive the operation. I just need to work with PBB Tanjong Datu and they’re still there.
“All the things are still moving, and what I need is just to activate it. So the whole operation will follow exactly what we had before.” Wan Junaidi said the only difference would be the candidate.
“We don’t know who the candidate is yet until the chief minister announces it. Once we know the candidate, we just bring in the candidate and introduce him to the people, to get the people to understand.”
He added it mattered more that the candidate was the choice of PBB and must be accepted by the people. He said the late Adenan’s potential successor in Tanjong Datu must be able to continue his good work.
“The candidate must continue to deliver what Tan Sri (Adenan Satem) last time already mentioned to the people there. And we still need development and basic amenities.”
On candidacy, Abang Johari said at the press conference that he would make an announcement at a later date. When pressed on how many candidates had been shortlisted, he said: “Adalah (We have), one or three or four.”
On the same subject, Wan Junaidi said leaders at the grassroots level had “dropped a few names” and they awaited a decision by the chief minister.
He added that he would continue meeting up with leaders on the ground while the party leadership was in the midst of arriving at a decision.
To a question, he said he had been told that the opposition was already identifying the candidate for the by-election.
“Therefore, the possibility of winning (Tanjong Datu) uncontested is not there.”
Wan Junaidi said it did not matter who PBB chose as the party would work hard and try its best to make sure the candidate win.