2œ theSun | MONDAY APRIL 6 2009

news without borders

Comment by Zainon Ahmad

newsdesk@thesundaily.com

IT LOOKS like the contests in Bukit

Gantang, Bukit Selambau and Batang
Ai are going to be close with BN
likely to be able to hold on to Batang
Ai in Sarawak and is fighting hard
to wrest the other two from PAS and
Parti Keadilan Rakyat.
However, the BN, having just em-
barked on its rebuilding exercise, is
not too keen to have the by-elections
be seen as a referendum as what
Permatang Pauh and Kuala Tereng-
ganu were made out to be.
Thus, many of its leaders had ear-
lier on intimated that all the coalition
hopes to do in Bukit Gantang and
Bukit Selambau is to trim down the
Pakatan Rakyat majorities.
But whether the BN wants the
three by-elections to be seen as a
referendum or not, that is what
they are going to be perceived as,
especially in Bukit Gantang, where
ousted Pakatan Rakyat mentri besar
Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin is fighting
to retain the seat for PAS and where
both sides are concentrating their
firepower.
Already Pakatan is touting Bukit
Gantang as a referendum on the sack-
ing of its government by the Sultan of
Perak. A win by Nizar would be seen
as a disapproval of what happened, a
loss would be unthinkable.
Thus, it is throwing everything
into ensuring that Nizar wins us-
ing such arguments as why the BN
government in the the state is illegal,
why Datuk Seri Najib Razak cannot
be prime minister, and why math-
ematics and science should not be
It’s going to be close as fatiggue sets in
taught in English.
For his act of “durhaka” (disobedi-
ence), he is painted as a modern-day
Hang Jebat, the famous rebel during
the days of the Melaka Sultanate, and
even as Tun Perak, the bendahara
who saved Hang Tuah when the
sultan asked him to be executed.
But among the Malay voters, who
constitute 63% of the 55,562 elector-
ate of Bukit Gantang, durhaka is a
serious offence and something which
Nizar and his backers, Datuk Seri
Anwar Ibrahim, Datuk Hadi Awang
or Nik Aziz Nik Mat seem unable to
BERNAMAPIX
explain away satisfactorily.
However, as polling day ap-
proaches, the BN seems to feel it is
gaining more Malay support than in
previous elections – 51% in 1999 and
2004 and 53% in 2008 – and, based
on this, it is now fighting to win.
It is still capitalising on the dur-
haka issue in its ceramah to the Ma-
lays saying that the people of Melaka
did not benefit by Jebat’s rebellion as
only he alone enjoyed the benefits
from his ousting of the sultan from
the palace and occupying it.
Knowing that most non-Malays
are still behind Nizar, Umno cam-
paigners are appealing to nation-
alistic sentiments of the Malays by
branding Nizar as a DAP-stooge. It is
also appealing to the Malays to rally
to Umno as it is now united follow-
ing its recent annual assembly.
are wondering which coalition will
benefit from Tun Dr Mahathir Moha-
mad’s presence in the constituency
today now that he is back in Umno.
Whether in Bukit Gantang as well
as in Bukit Selambau, it is noticed
that a certain amount of election
fatigue seemed to have set in and
have caused many to predict low
voter turnouts tomorrow.
But it is different in Batang Ai,
which is in the deep interior of
Sarawak, far from the state capital
Kuching and an unimaginable
Ismail Saffian, the BN candidate in Bukit Gantang, distance away the peninsula and
addresses residents in Changkat Ibol, near Taiping. The is, therefore, sheltered from much
Pakatan Rakyat is touting the Bukit Gantang by-election a of the political sentiments that had
referendum on the sacking of its government in Perak. raged there since March 8, 2008.
Thus, it is mostly local issues
that are debated in this 8,000-voter
It may just be able to get 60% should the BN be able exploit the constituency spread out over rugged
of the Malay votes – an increase of divisions within the PKR ranks it terrain and jungles. To get to meet
about 7% from what it got in the might just be able to win but fissures the voters is a real challenge as most
last general election – and, if it does, suddenly began to appear within its live in villages or longhouses far
Nizar is in trouble. Knowing this, An- ranks and it may now come as no from each other.
war is in a state of frenzy forcing him surprise should one of the independ- It is, therefore, tough going
to shuttle frequently between Bukit ents be hailed instead. for PKR candidate Jawah Gerang
Gantang and Bukit Selambau, where In Bukit Selambau, Anwar is even though he is backed by rich
his PKR candidate is contesting. under pressure to win as, in the benefactors. However, what is avail-
Bukit Selambau, a state seat, is last general election, the candidate able to him is nothing compared to
where a record 15 candidates are he nominated was disqualified and BN’s fleets of SUVs, speedboats and
standing. The two main combatants it was the victorious independent helicopters his opponent Malcolm
are PKR’s S. Manikumar and BN’s candidate V. Arumugam who was Mussen commands.
Datuk S. Ganesan, while the rest are eventually accepted into PKR. Referendum or not, a win by PKR
independents, among whom are dis- Thus, it is touch and go for both in Batang Ai will seem like it is serv-
gruntled members of Anwar’s party. coalitions in BN’s bid to oust PKR ing notice that it is about to take over
Originally, it was thought that and PKR’s efforts to defend it. Many the state.

Which way the wind blows in Batang Ai? Set up posts

LUBOK ANTU: The campaigning in Batang Ai
for Chinese
is being wrapped up but the precious days before
tomorrow are being milked to the fullest by both
Sarawak Deputy
Water, Energy and
community,
Barisan Nasional and Parti Keadilan Rakyat
(PKR).
Communications
Minister Datuk
Joseph Salang
says MCA
The BN flagbearer is engineer Malcolm Mus-
sen Lamoh, 49, who is taking on five-term former pins a Barisan by Hemananthani Sivanandam
BN parliamentarian Jawah Gerang, 55, of PKR. Nasional badge on newsdesk@thesundaily.com
Seldom has this quaint frontier town of Lubok PKR Julau division
Antu seen a constantly swelling crowd the way it chairman Dr KUALA LUMPUR: MCA deputy secretary-general
has during the past two weeks. Ambrose Labang Datuk Loke Yuen Yow has urged Prime Minister
Nomination day on March 29 had its many his- Jamba, who quit Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak to create positions
for a deputy prime minister and Barisan Nasional
BERNAMAPIX

tory-making moments with the presence of two
chief ministers, from Sarawak and Selangor, and
the sight of two well-known Sabahan brothers
– Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan and Datuk
Dr Jeffrey Kitingan – sitting far apart
from each other, not to mention the heavy
demand for accommodation and heavy
presence of police personnel.
Then there was an intending inde-
pendent candidate who was all gung-ho
about contesting but never get to submit
his nomination paper although he and his
seconder and proposer had entered the
nomination centre.
Of course, the thousands of cheering or
jeering supporters from both sides will be
the subject of debates and discussions in
the months to come.
PKR is generally perceived to be using
the by-election to
test its accept-
ance among the
Ibans. A win N.29 BATANG Ai by-election
will mean the
party can contest
in more Iban majority seats in coming
elections.
“A win against the all-powerful BN will
be an iconic win,” said Paul Kadang, a PKR
campaign official.
Apart from accusing the BN of being
greedy and corrupt, PKR has been utilis-
ing the native customary right (NCR) land
development issue to woo the 8,006 voters
of whom 95% are Ibans.
“We have articulated to the PKR head-
quarters that we will use this issue to the
fullest,” said Nicholas Bawin, PKR director
of operations for the by-election.
Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president
Datuk Seri Dr James Jemut Masing said
PKR had erred in conducting its campaign
in an aggressive manner, by shouting and
the party with his
deputy, secretary
and a committee
member yesterday.
cursing in front of the mild-mannered and
socially-affable rural folk.
“They are obviously not used to this
kind of demeanour,” he said.
PKR is also facing problems in terms of
funds, a fact that Kadang readily admitted.
Funds are needed to campaign here
where a large number of voters are scat-
tered in more than 150 longhouses, with
those in hinterlands like in Ulu Engkari are
almost eight hours to reach by longboat.
The Election Commission itself is spend-
ing no less than RM400,000. Petrol bills
alone are quite substantial, given that an
estimated 6,400 are reachable by roads, and
about 1,600 others
in the interior
by the Delok,
Lemanak and
Engkari rivers.
Jawah is bank-
ing on the support in his and Bawin’s
traditional strongholds like in Engkari
Ulu, Engkari Ili and around the Batang Ai
resettlement scheme.
The BN has been relentless in its assault
in all areas in the constituency.
“We don’t consider any area to be white,
grey or black. We move into all areas to en-
sure nothing short of a convincing win for
Mussen,” said Second Minister of Resource
Planning Datuk Amar Awang Tengah, one
of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu’s (PBB)
most vocal non-Iban campaigners.
The BN’s campaign received a morale
boost on Saturday when Umno deputy
president Tan Sri Muhyddin Yassin flew in
to assist in sending Jawah to his Waterloo.
– Bernama
deputy chairman for the Chinese community.
He suggested that MCA president Datuk Seri
Ong Tee Keat be appointed to the positions.
In a statement, Loke said Malaysians of all
races have long accepted and rendered their full
support to the ideology of an administration based
on power-sharing.
“However, after 52 years of national independ-
ence, we continue to feel that the so-called power
-sharing is just a mere slogan rather than a practi-
cal situation which we all yearn to become true
one day,” he said.
“Hence, Malaysians are rather frustrated and
dissatisfied with our real situation now as it is
merely empty talk.”
Loke said the creation of the posts will not only
help to realise the true ideology of the power-shar-
ing administration but “it will also denote that the
government gives importance to the role and
contributions made by the Chinese towards the
process of nation-building”.
If given the position of deputy prime minister,
Ong could help to draw up a fairer and a more jus-
tifiable policy beneficial to all, especially in areas
relating to the Chinese in the fields of economics
and education.
He also reiterated that Ong should be appointed
the deputy chairman of the BN Supreme Council.
“This will truly manifest the real scenario of
power-sharing in the administration of Datuk Seri
Najib,” he said.
Loke pointed out that MCA had represented the
Chinese in the struggle for the nation’s independ-
ence together with Umno and MIC in 1957.
“Hence, in the process of nation-building, the
contributions made by both MCA and the Chinese
community are huge and tremendous,” he said.
“As a far-sighted leader with brilliant political
leadership, Datuk Seri Najib should see the impor-
tance and necessity of creating both positions, of
which the MCA president should be appointed
to.”