S’wak BN braces for peninsular-style assault

 

KUCHING: Sarawak is sizzling with speculations of a snap election and the state Barisan Nasional is not leaving room for a Peninsular-style election campaign to catch them off-guard. “Once is painful enough,” said a Miri-based source alluding to the displeasure voiced by several leaders in relation to the “street-style” campaigning and cyber attacks initiated by peninsular-based opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat during the Sibu by-election.

Yesterday, huddled in Damai Beach Resort, some 200 grassroots state BN party leaders from Kuching, Samarahan and Sri Aman devised ways to counter what they believe will be a potentially explosive campaign by the opposition in the coming state election.

Sarawak BN comprises Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SUPP) and Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS).

PBB deputy chief Abang Johari Openg, who was secretive about the content of the meeting, said the meeting was a result of a directive from the national BN.

“All I can say is that members of the state BN must be prepared for the next election. They must know BN’s approach and be aware of the latest election laws and regulations.

“There have been some legal provisions which were successfully amended last year, one in particular is the recounting of votes” said the Satok assemblyman.

Hinting at the by-elections in Batang Ai and Sibu, he said it is important that BN members were aware of these amendments so that they would not be caught unaware.

“We want to prepare ourselves… we don’t want to be caught off-guard. The meeting is also studying campaigning styles which have also now extended into the web.

“We are telling our BN members to be prepared for new styles and modes and are urging them to improvise or modify their strategies,” said Abang Johari, who is also minister of housing and urban development.