Adenan hits campaign trail running, Najib scurries hinterland

SARAWAK POLL As much as scandal-ridden Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak wants to secure BN victory in Sarawak, he is rarely seen campaigning in urban constituencies where the voters are more familiar with political development.

This is the total opposite of the campaign trail of Sarawak BN chairperson Adenan Satem, a popular figure and super campaigner who has been making his rounds at all these constituencies.

Riding on the ‘Adenan factor’, the caretaker chief minister has been going all out fishing for votes for BN candidates and BN direct candidates.

Meanwhile, Najib, who has visited the Borneo state more than 50 times since he assumed premiership, mainly focused on bumiputera-majority and rural constituencies.

His itinerary avoided urban seats, particularly Chinese-majority constituencies.

The opposition has been maximising on the goods and services tax (GST) and Najib's scandals as campaign fodder, as these issues are being discussed by voters in the urban areas.

In his attempt to capture a major vote bank, Adenan attended events organised by the big-six timber companies in the state before nomination day. At one event, he even reportedly warned the employees to choose between their rice bowl or vote for the opposition.

'Super weekend' trail

Adenan, who appeared in the southern part of Sarawak after nomination day, is planning to spend the next two days – also called ‘super weekend’ – campaigning in the central and northern regions where SUPP had suffered huge losses to the opposition in previous elections.

'Super weekend' is the period where political parties plan their campaign to attract huge crowds for them to convey their message.

BN had lost 15 urban seats to the opposition and Pelagus – a rural seat - to an independent candidate in the 2011 state election, when the opposition raised corruption allegations surrounding then chief minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.

Adenan has adopted a different leadership style than his predecessor; he has been holding press conferences almost every night and dared to take on tough questions.

Not only has he been able to lead heated discussions on topics related to the state poll, but he has also managed to promote BN in the process.

Adenan also campaigned at Tasik Biru, a Dayak-majority seat in the outskirts of Kuching, a seat which is said to be the litmus test for DAP in Dayak-majority constituencies.

He will show up at Batu Kawah, a state seat in Kuching, to boost BN candidate Dr Sim Kui Hian's chance.

Adenan will be flying to Sibu tomorrow, where BN lost three out of four Chinese-majority state seats – Pelawan, Bukit Assek and Dudong – to DAP in the 2011 poll.

He plans to be in Miri – going to Mulu state constituency on Sunday morning while attending ceramah at two Chinese-majority seats at Piasau and Pujut at night.

Chinese seats a must-win

Besides defending BN’s two-third majority in the state legislative assembly, Adenan, who is leading the state election for the first time, needs to win over Chinese seats which BN had lost during Taib's long reign as chief minister.

Failing so, he may risk a challenge by his rival from inside the party or externally.

Najib, whose image has been badly damaged by the 1MDB fiasco and RM2.6 billion donation scandal, especially needs the huge victory to strengthen his power.

While no premier has ever campaigned for a chief minister on nomination day, Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor showed up on April 25 to give Adenan moral support.

Yesterday, he went to Bukit Semuja and Kedup, both Dayak-majority seats contested by DAP. Party supremo Lim Kit Siang was also seen campaigning there for support.

Najib will also appear at the northern region - Marudi, Telang Usan, Lambir, Jemoreng - today and tomorrow.

With Najib's support hitting rock bottom among the urbanites, the opposition has been pushing the mantra that "a vote for Adenan is a vote for Najib", in an attempt to write off the ‘Adenan factor’.

Adenan had repeatedly distanced himself from the 1MDB scandal surrounding Najib, insisting that the state election is only about local issues.

We will have to wait until next Saturday to know how well the Adenan factor can neutralise Najib's negative image. -Mkini