A ‘singing election’ with big implications
A big win for Adenan will signal that Sarawak is still a Barisan Nasional fixed deposit state even though it wants to do things differently and is insisting on some degree of state autonomy.
Joceline Tan, The Star
TAN Sri Adenan Satem seems to have overcome his phobia of helicopters. The Sarawak chief minister has been flying all over Sarawak to prepare for the state election or what some have called the “singing election”.
But songs and singing aside, there is no denying that Adenan has become some sort of game changer in Sarawak’s unique and fascinating brand of multi-cultural politics.
This state election is going to be like no other before it.
The outcome of the state election will determine where Sarawak is headed in the next five years.
Adenan has shown tremendous political will in maintaining the unique multi-cultural harmony that the state is famous for.
He is seeking a big mandate in order to continue to assert the Sarawak brand of moderation, tolerance and autonomy. He also means to bring in development projects that will help his state catch up with peninsular Malaysia.
The election result will also have far-reaching implications for the general election that is widely expected to take place before the end of next year.
A big win for Adenan will signal that Sarawak is still a Barisan Nasional fixed deposit state even though it wants to do things differently and is insisting on some degree of state autonomy.
Although this election is about Sarawakians asserting their democratic rights, a lot is at stake for those watching on from Putrajaya.
It explains why Barisan is giving its all to ensure that Adenan wins an impressive mandate.
This election is equally crucial for the opposition. For more than a year, opposition politicians had been trumpeting Sarawak as the road to Putrajaya.
The opposition has to do well if it wants to convince voters in the peninsula that it has the numbers to take over Putrajaya. The conventional wisdom is that Sarawak and Sabah have to fall for the opposition to win the general election.
It is the first big test for the Pakatan Harapan setup. The three parties have made quite a good show at keeping their disagreements over seats below the surface.
The synergy shown here will set the precedent for what will happen in the general election.
PKR is contesting 40 seats, DAP 30 and Amanah 11. Amanah is making its maiden appearance but it will probably end up with a big zero like its nemesis PAS, which is also contesting 11 seats.
DAP was the big winner in 2011 and having won all the Chinese majority seats, it needs to spread its wings into the bumiputra seats. This election will be about DAP trying to establish a foothold in the semi-rural seats.
The battle for 82 state seats kicks off after nominations tomorrow morning. And Sarawak being Sarawak, there will be lots of multi-cornered fights all over.
This is no ordinary state election because Sarawak is about the size of the peninsula and some seats alone are as big as Pahang.
Adenan’s approval rating has shot through the roof, hovering in the 80%-plus zone.
The opposition has been put on a defensive footing because Adenan has defused so many of the issues that the opposition used to ride on.
Yet, few can confidently predict the number of seats he can wrest back from the opposition.
Adenan is still trying to smoothen out the ripples arising from unhappiness over candidates and seat allocations.
“Think of me even if you don’t like the BN candidates. Please help them because if they lose, I cannot be the chief minister. We are in one team and I cannot score goals on my own.
“Try me, try my team. If we cannot do it, kick us out in five years time,” he told a gathering in Sibu where the ripples are most evident.
Adenan has kept his political messages brief, simple and heart-warming.
It is possible that this may go down in history as the first “singing election”.
Adenan has been belting out songs everywhere he goes. At the Sibu event, he sang the Elvis ballad, Can’t Help Falling In Love.
The Chinese voters jilted his coalition in the last polls and he needs them to fall in love again if he is to win a big and meaningful mandate on May 7.
