PKR changes battle strategy for Batang Ai

Opposition PKR has re-strategised its election campaign and strengthen its machinery on the ground in Batang Ai in the face of an all-out effort by the Barisan Nasional to defend the seat.

Yesterday, visiting Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim, after a two-day visit, announced the PKR candidate, four-time elected representative Jawah Gerang and Nicholas Bawin, the director of operations, will be campaigning separately in order to cover every corner of the voting districts in the sparsely-populated Batang Ai state constituency near the border with Indonesian West Kalimantan.

They are accompanied alternately by the PKR state assemblyperson for Ngemah, Gabriel Adit, who sometimes moves on his own with other party campaigners to cover other areas as well.

The other PKR state assemblyperson for Padungan, Dominique Ng, has been appointed as party adviser to Jawah and election co-ordinator for activities related to the Batang Ai by-election to ensure the party work as a team, according to Khalid.

Khalid, who left for Kuala Lumpur last night, is also PKR national vice-president and PKR Selangor chief.

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, who has been away overseas in the past few days, will be flying to Kuching tomorrow and then by road to Lubok Antu to join in the campaigning.

Jawah to cover Engkari area tomorrow

Bawin (pic, left) told Malaysiakini by phone from Lubok Antu today that he will be leading his group to continue their campaign in the lower Lamanak river area today.

He said Jawah will be going to the longhouses in the upper reaches, and tomorrow he will cover the Engkari area and finally the 21 Batang Ai resettlement area, seen largely as his stronghold in the last election when he stood in the state and parliamentary elections.

He said the BN campaigning team comprising Jasa, Kemas and the Agriculture Department had been active in many longhouses along the various rivers.

“It’s tough but we are confident,” was all Bawin would say when pressed to assess their chances.

The BN’s “main weapon” is seen as money for there has almost been non-stop announcements every day even before nomination day of disbursements of funds for one project after another.

And the BN campaign is also seen as largely conducted by Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu, the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) deputy president, and his PBB team with the Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) team, led by state Land Development Minister, Dr James Masing.

The BN candidate Malcolm Mussen Lamoh is from PRS.

Strong backing from DAP

PKR, with the strong backing from DAP (which is working hard to get the 350 Chinese voters to swing to the opposition) and Sarawak National Party (which still enjoys some support from the Ibans) and other independent groups, are spreading out across the 150 longhouses to counter the BN propaganda.

They are also raising popular issues such as land and lack of compensation for the resettlement of people affected by the Batang Ai hydro-dam project in the 1980s.

Among personalities singled out for attack by the BN is Jawah himself whom the BN leaders said had done little in terms of development for the constituents when he was in the ruling coalition.

And the most popular figure targeted by the opposition during longhouse ceramahs is Chief Minister Taib Mahmud who they accused of not only doing little or nothing for the Dayaks, especially Ibans, but also responsible for the loss of much of their NCR land as well as accusing him and his family of amassing wealth.

Meanwhile, a former PRS leader Sng Chee Hua today issued a three-paragraph signed statement denying he was working against the interests of the BN in Batang Ai.

PRS leader Dr James Masing had accused him indirectly in local newspapers as being the towkay behind PKR in Sarawak.

The press statement by Sng said: “With reference to the recent articles in the local Chinese dailies, I would like to make it known that I have already retired from politics. As such, I no longer involve myself in party matters and I support the government of the day.”

“I am aware that certain PRS leaders who have ill-will against me from the fall-out in the party, are trying to accuse me of working against the interests of the BN in Batang Ai. This is a lie,” Sng said.

He added: “I am a BN man and I believe that the BN will deliver the seat.”

Sng said he was compelled to issue the clarification in the light of the recent allegations in the media which he described as having no basis against him.