SARAWAK POLLS | During the weekends, the small town Julau comes alive with visitors and traders from as far as Kanowit and Pakan.
The narrow streets are clogged with motorcycles and cars. Eateries are full. Trade is in full swing.
However, as cash is the main currency and not e-wallets, the star attraction of the town every weekend is the sole automatic teller machine (ATM).
Farmer Paulus, 60, told Malaysiakini that during the weekends the ATM dispensing ability is limited.
"We only have one ATM. It's usually empty by 11am on weekends," he said.
Julau, which has some 20,000 people, doesn't have a bank. There's one Bank Rakyat ATM located next to the tamu market, the main place of trade.
There's no cash deposit machine either. Traders there told Malaysiakini this meant they have to bank in their earnings either in Bintagor or Sibujaya, both of which are a distance away. This is both costly and time-consuming.
Although residents said roads and internet connectivity have improved in Julau in recent years, the lack of banking facilities and even a petrol station is still a major concern and has become an election topic.
Walking around Julau, it is not uncommon to see motorcyclists carrying a 1.5-litre water bottle filled with petrol.
These bottles are not sold in petrol stations but by sundry shops in Julau, priced at RM4 a bottle, despite the ceiling price for RON95 petrol being fixed at RM2.05 per litre.
Residents told Malaysiakini that they have been promised a petrol station and ATMs for decades but they appear no closer to a resolution.
"If I'm not mistaken, we've been promised a petrol station, a fire station and a hospital over four election campaigns.
"During campaign periods, they (the candidates) promised all sorts of things. We'll see what happens this time," said one food stall operator who declined to be named.
Julau town is located in the Meluan constituency, which is one of two state assembly constituencies that make up the Julau parliamentary constituency.
The election for Meluan will see Rolland Duat Anak Jubin (Gabungan Parti Sarawak - Progressive Democratic Party) defending his seat against Elly Lawai Ngalai (Parti Sarawak Bersatu) and Abdul Hamid Siong (Parti Bumi Kenyalang).
During the 2016 election, the Meluan race was a tight battle. Rolland won 37.4 percent of the votes cast. At the time, Elly was an independent candidate and won 29.9 percent of the votes while a PKR candidate won 22.3 percent.
These candidates have to grapple with many basic infrastructure woes raised by voters, including the lack of road access to villages in rural areas that need to trade in Julau.
Paulus, the farmer, said villagers depend on water routes to ship the produce, such as pepper and rubber, to Julau.
"Since I was 28 until now that I'm 60, it is still the same," he said.
Speaking to Malaysiakini, Elly, a former Petronas officer, blamed GPS for the woes of Julau inhabitants and promised to improve trade conditions, access to drinking water, internet connectivity, access to electricity and bring in a petrol station.
He also promised that all longhouses in the constituency will have proper road access and that the rural parts of the constituency will have access to medical facilities.
Rolland, who is seeking a second term in the Sarawak state assembly, acknowledged that there are complaints but said that his five-year term has brought many changes to the town.
He said that his tenure saw the introduction of the rural transformation programme (RTP) facility being established and the Sarawak Alternative Rural Electrification Scheme (Sares) being brought into the area.
He gave his assurance that once the Sares project was completed, all longhouses will have electricity, even those far in the interiors.
Rolland said he has been working on a solution to bring a petrol station to Julau and has appealed to Bank Rakyat to ensure that more ATMs are installed in the town.
"We have detailed plans. I know the opposition is trying to find holes in what we do. But the point is we have covered many holes.
"We have made big holes smaller. People have seen what we've done," Rolland said.
Another key figure in this election is the Julau MP Larry Sng. While he is not running for a seat in the state assembly, Sng has pledged to support Rolland and GPS.
Sng told Malaysiakini that he was aware of the voters' woes. He claimed that three companies were currently vying to build a petrol station in Julau, along with more ATM machines on the way. He said a fire station was also in the pipeline.
"Why things weren't moving in the past? Perhaps due to the lack of effort in communication and coordination among the MPs and the assemblypersons.
"On the things you raised, things are moving smoothly. Tak lama lagi (it won't be long now).
"I hope to keep that working relationship intact. I want to see people getting as much development they deserve in the shortest time possible," Sng said when met in Julau.
Despite the narrow results of the 2016 election for Meluan, both Rolland and Elly see their chances of winning as good because PKR is not in the running this time around.
Both candidates said they have been campaigning for a long time. Meluan has 14,671 voters, making it one of the bigger rural constituencies.
Rolland said the feedback from the voters so far has given him confidence that he will retain his seat.
"I've proven that I can do the job and people can see it," he said.
As for Elly, his strategy is to draw in two-thirds of the votes that went to PKR and an independent candidate during the 2016 elections.
"The GPS government focuses on the cities and certain districts only. The rural areas are always marginalised and have all sorts of problems.
"My party (PSB) will bring change, justice and equality. Sarawak belongs to Sarawakians. Its wealth must be shared and enjoyed fairly," Elly added. - Mkini
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