Assemblymen throw full support behind Nancy
KUCHING: Both Gedong assemblyman Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais and Simunjan assemblyman Awla Dris have pledged their full support for Batang Sadong MP Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri in the 14th general election to ensure a big majority.
Naroden who is also Entrepreneur and Small, Medium Enterprise Development Assistant Minister said the election machinery of the three state constituencies under the Batang Sadong parliamentary seat – Simunjan, Gedong and Sadong Jaya – started when there was speculation that the general election might be held earlier.
“All three of us had called for a few meetings at various levels in our own constituencies to prepare for the general election which we thought would be held earlier. So our machinery is all in place and ready.
“All three of us (including Sadong Jaya assemblyman Aidel Lariwoo) will give her (Nancy) our full support to ensure a big win in our three constituencies so that it sums up to be a big majority in the Batang Sadong constituency,” Naroden told The Borneo Post recently.
He had no doubt that Barisan Nasional (BN) would retain Batang Sadong and said it was a white area based on the result of the 2016 state election where all three state constituencies showed a high majority for BN candidates.
Naroden won with a majority of 3,467; Aidel with 3,365; and Awla with 2712.
Meanwhile, in the 2013 parliamentary election, Nancy won with a majority of 11,260 votes by polling 13,277 votes against PAS candidate Mohammad Jolhi’s 2,017 votes.
“There is a handful of opposition supporters but we are confident that we will defend the seat with a big majority,” Naroden emphasised.
He held the view that it would be to their advantage if the general election was to be called earlier as all local issues were already solved in the 2016 state election.
He said the only issue, if it could be called an issue at all, would be the implementation of projects promised during the last state election.
“However, we don’t foresee it to be a big issue because most projects are either completed or on the way to completion,” he said.
Apart from making good on the projects promised, Naroden said the ‘feel good’ programmes such as the Pre-Gawai celebration, Gawai celebration and ‘ ngiling tikai’ as well as Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration were also factors which would contribute to a comfortable win for BN.
“There is a general ‘ feel good’ sentiment on the ground because of these ‘ feel good’ programmes, while at the same time, projects are ongoing,” Naroden said.
Citing the example of the previous annual water woes in Simunjan and Gedong, Naroden said the problem had been fixed before the 2016 state election.
“As long as the water intake point in Serian does not dry up, there will be no water problems for Simunjan and Gedong,” he said.
Both Naroden and Awla are now in the midst of bringing in investors interested to develop 1,000 acres of idle land in each constituency into a MG2 pineapple farm.
“We have identified 1,000 acres of land in our respective constituencies for the planting of MG2 pineapple where the investors will bring in the shoots, fertiliser and technology and they will later buy back the pineapples from us,” Naroden explained.