Vote BN or suffer for next five years, Dayak leaders say

Ten kilometres from the heart of urban Miri, in a rural village, an Iban ceremony took place.

The villagers, or at least the village SUPP branch, wanted Iban deity Keling to bless BN's candidate for Piasau, Sebastian Ting, in the hope that he would retake the seat from DAP this Saturday.

In a speech after the ceremony, Kampung Api-Api SUPP chief Jemat Ibat appealed to the villagers to vote for Ting.

"Don't be fooled by the opposition. They have a way with words, but we know the only one that can help us is BN," Jemat said.

Edward Mampo, chief of neighbouring Kampung Pasir, echoed this sentiment, and told reporters this was their last chance to get a BN rep.

"If BN doesn't get elected, for the next five years the villagers will face hardship."

He claimed, that under incumbent assemblyperson, DAP's Alan Ling, there had been no changes in the fate of villagers.

"We ask him for help but he says he has no power," Edward lamented.

Meanwhile, one of Ting's aides Leonard Fong, also advised the villagers against taking money to vote.

"RM500 for a vote won't last you five years. Instead, if this village wants projects, then vote BN and we will give you projects," Fong told the villagers.

Kampung Api-Api, one of the largest squatter settlements in Miri, has been under DAP's Ling for five years now.

Prior to the last state election, the constituency was governed by former SUPP president George Chan, who quit politics after losing to Ling.

It appears that little has changed since 2011, and the ruralness of Kampung Api-Api is in stark contrast to the well developed oil town just 10 minutes away from it.

The village is one of several in Miri still waiting to get government assistance to relocate to better housing.

And this is what Ting promised to help the Iban community with, should he win.

The Ibans and other non-Muslim Dayaks make up 19 percent of voters in Piasau.

The other 22 percent is of Malays and Melanau, while the majority of voters here are ethnic Chinese, who make up 59 percent. -Mkini