KUCHING, April 13 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak has talked down Barisan Nasional’s (BN) chances of winning two-thirds of the seats being contested in this Saturday’s Sarawak elections.
Instead, he said BN’s most immediate target was to win a simple majority to form the next state government.
“Our target is to form a government. That is the minimum. Two-thirds majority is a bonus,” said Najib today after campaigning in the outskirts of the state capital here.
Najib also admitted that BN faced an uphill battle in urban areas and that the April 16 vote was “probably the toughest in the history of Sarawak.”
“We cannot deny that the urban seats are areas where we are tested the most,” the prime minister said.
He called for BN to work harder in urban areas because its candidates were of high calibre and asked voters not to reject them.
With three days of the campaign left, positive reports continue to stream in for Pakatan Rakyat (PR) from across the state and all three parties believe they can improve on their 2006 haul.
According to observers, BN’s campaign has been lacklustre despite the deployment of senior federal government leaders and the entire state cabinet to help in the polls.
At events headlined by Najib himself, turnout has paled in comparison with those of PR’s, which has seen crowds of up to 10,000 in attendance.
Sensing that the opposition has gained support by exploiting the anti-Taib sentiment, Najib has even moved to assure voters that the state leader, accused of widespread corruption, would step down soon.
He has also scheduled a meeting with church leaders, hoping to quell the Christian community’s dissent over the ongoing Alkitab bible row ahead of the polls where nearly a million people are eligible to vote. The Star 13 April 2011).
Comment:
It indeed is. Sarawak politics is reminiscent of Arab politics. The only difference is that Sarawakians are more multi-racial while in the Arab lands, the people are more homogeneous.
Sarawak politicians should and must learn from Barack Obama's campaign strategy for Change and not Transformation, which may just mean cosmetic in nature. One glaring example of why change is seriusly advocated is the succession plan for the Sarawak current government is not being highlighted agressive enough . Vey rarely that the people in Sarawak, especially among the BN politicians hear such phrases like political liability, overstay your welcome or the gut to change.
The current government only advises the long awaited announcement of the Chief Minister, Tan Sri Taib Mahmud to name his successor or step down for someone younger. Taib has been at the top for 30 years, similar to that of Husni Mubarah of Egypt or Muammar Gadhafi of Libya. And Pakatan Rakyat, DAP in particular, has made good in their campaign strategy to attack the government. Sarawak for Change has been very effective as well as receptive and Sarawak might see many of the urban seats tumble like pinbowl come Election this Saturday.
Probably this is the main reason why Najib says two-third majority will be a bonus for BN in this election when he said,"The immediate target is to win a simple majority." Najib's toughest Sarawak election in his politicl career yet.
SUPP candidates tumbling like ten-pins in Sarawak Election come Saturday? This must be good news for the Peninsula DAP judging by the audience in the thousands attending the Pakatan Ceramah.
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