Quiet campaign in Tanjong Datu
Analyst: Jamilah will win, Opposition should not contest just for the sake of it
KUCHING: The campaigning for the Tanjong Datu by-election has been a quiet affair so far despite a three-way fight for the seat.
Nearly a week into the campaign, only Barisan Nasional flags, billboards and posters of its candidate Puan Sri Jamilah Anu could be seen in the constituency.
Even so, Barisan was taking a low-key approach to the campaign out of respect for the late chief minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem, whose death on Jan 11 prompted the by-election.
Opposition candidates Johnny Aput from the State Reform Party Sarawak (STAR) and Rapelson Richard Hamit from PBDS Baru were also keeping a low profile, choosing to campaign door-to-door instead of engaging in a poster war.
Analysts are of the opinion that the Opposition parties know they have no chance of winning the Feb 18 by-election and only entered the fray to deny Barisan a walkover victory.
Political analyst Assoc Prof Dr Faisal S. Hazis from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, for instance, said this was not an acceptable reason to contest in an election. “Parties contest elections to win. “It is wrong to go in just with the notion of contesting.
“This is not to say that competition is not good.
“In any political system, if there is competition, it is good. At the end of the day, the ones who will benefit are the people.
“If you have competitive elections, you will have a more responsive and accountable government, and a more responsible and constructive Opposition,” he told The Star.
In order to provide a meaningful contest, Dr Faisal said political parties had to build up grassroots support instead of just showing up during elections.
“If you just go in during the campaign period and do not do anything on the ground outside the elections, that is not providing contest.
“If you really want to make elections a meaningful process, you need to invest in ground work.
“After you’ve done that, then you offer yourself to contest in an election and hopefully, people who agree with your vision and struggle will vote for you,” Dr Faisal said.
He also said that victory for Jamilah was a foregone conclusion as Tanjong Datu was a Barisan stronghold and the sympathy factor from Adenan’s sudden death would make it even tougher for the Opposition to wrest the seat. Jamilah is Adenan’s widow.
“Barisan’s biggest challenge will be making sure people go out and vote. In the last state election, Adenan received over 90% of the votes cast. You can’t get any better than that,” he said.
He added that the by-election result would not be an indicator for the coming general election as Barisan was bound to win Tanjong Datu.
PBB publicity committee chairman Datuk Peter Minos said the Opposition candidates were not known to locals in Tanjong Datu.
“They are total strangers out to kacau (disturb) only. Locals deeply respect the late Adenan and miss him a lot. They will back his wife out of sympathy and respect. “Tanjong Datu is PBB’s bastion. “Any Opposition party can try its luck, but PBB is confident that Jamilah will be voted in. Past elections have indicated so and this will be repeated,” he said.