Opposition outplayed

(NST) – Having gotten used to doing things a certain way in West Malaysia, the opposition cannot be faulted for being a tad slow on the uptake. By now, they would have realised that things are a lot different in Sarawak, and slagging off Tan Sri Adenan Satem will do little to help them steal votes.

The shift in their campaign strategy was evident over the weekend as their leaders, including those flown in from the peninsula to convince the crowd that their party, which is standing shakily on foundations built on internal distrust, political expediency and nagging suspicion — is somehow the alternative. They converged on the Super Saturday campaigns held in the bastions of their vote bank over the weekend and made their pitch.

The target audience in this state, like elsewhere where campaigns are being held, are listening intently to those trying to win their hearts and minds. With the election just six days away, the opposition realises that time is not on their side. Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who took to DAP’s stage on Saturday, would have learnt by now that while the Chinese community, at this point, may still be unsure about returning to the Barisan Nasional fold, ridiculing the Apai of Sarawak is a big no no.

He was quick to realise this and was somehow convinced that the RM2.6 billion issue would drive up the popularity of his party’s candidates. But it was clear that DAP’s seemingly carefully planned out strategy, where its machinery had flooded the stage with posters on the issue, wasn’t gaining much traction with the audience. A couple of awkward jibes at federal leaders did earn him a few laughs, though. Those observing such antics on the campaign trail put it to outsiders not really understanding Sarawakians.

“It is too early at this stage to read if the Chinese voters in DAP’s stronghold are ready to give Adenan a try, but there is no doubt that they like him. You can ridicule anyone in the world, but right now… here, if you ridicule Adenan for what he is trying to do, you will just offend them.

“They love him… but they are not sure if they should translate that feeling into votes for Tok Nan just yet,” said a local political observer. In the Sarawak BN war room, the challenge is convincing voters in urban centres that there is no reason for them to believe that they need parties from West Malaysia to serve as their watchdogs.

DAP has been telling voters that there is no point in giving BN a landslide victory as, even if the odds were stacked against them, somebody needs to be there to keep the ruling coalition in check. This is the basis of DAP’s pitch, banking on reverse psychology to get those who had voted for them in 2011 to either stay with them on May 7, or allow them to continue “policing” BN.

But, at the same time, this line by the opposition is getting tougher to sell as voters are stoked by the prospect of a surge in development that is only possible through BN. Also, for them, the idea of a watchdog would be pointless, academic, even, if Sarawak continues to be led by Adenan, who has assured and promised the people that he would continue to listen to them, act without fear or favour and administer the state without outside interference.

Today, DAP has grudgingly acceded that Adenan Fever is soaring high. There are traces of desperation in the air as even party supremo Lim Kit Siang is cautioning these voters that they wouldn’t want DAP to risk losing more than half of the 12 seats it won in the last state polls. Among his chief concerns now is that BN is getting closer to wresting away two of its seats — Meradong and Repok, both in Sarikei, about an hour from Sibu.

Observers say that Kit Siang is having kittens because it’s hard to find chinks in Adenan’s armour. In the two years of administering the state, his no-nonsense, Pattonesque leader ship style and Sarawak-centric policies have endeared him to many, fans and detractors alike.

“If you think Adenan has done a lot for Sarawak, you’re in for more surprises because YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET”, proclaimed the many billboards dotting the state. The idea of elevating Sarawak to a more modern, vibrant state, and unleashing its full potential under Adenan’s leadership is so tantalisingly close. It did not skip the Chinese, many of whom are already closet Adenan fans, that he had put their needs high on his priority list and was determined to make things right.

One of his immediate projects is to channel millions in grants to Chinese schools. Adenan, who is the pulse for Sarawak BN, was quick to call DAP out on their obvious political ploy from Day One. It is all too glaring when a party declares that they would be happy to just be the pressure group when it more than doubled the seats it contested before, hoping that those in rural areas, especially Dayaks, would embrace them like long-lost brothers.

“Don’t be fooled by Lim Kit Siang. If he just wants to reduce BN’s majority, why contest in so many seats? They want to form the government. If that happens, we (Sarawak) will be controlled by parties from West Malaysia,” was Adenan’s reminder to the Sarawak electorate.

That forced DAP’s hand, and Lim foolishly took the bait. He was unapologetic when he admitted outright that DAP had waited 38 years to venture onto a new stage and they wanted Sarawak. It is understandable why DAP and company have been forced to keep tweaking their political strategy with Adenan and his team steadily rolling out various initiatives for Sarawak’s progress.

Adenan is promising the voters, especially the Chinese, that the winds of change awaiting them will be beyond their wildest imagination. Team Adenan is optimistic that Sarawakians will stand behind BN as their leaders push forward strategic plans that had been laid out to ensure a progressive Sarawak.

With BN already getting down to business to achieve results for the people of Sarawak, DAP’s efforts in trying to sway their hearts and minds with shallow slogans like “Ubah” and “Impian Sarawak” sound increasingly feeble. For Sarawakians are already living the Sarawak Dream. And under Adenan’s five-year road map, they will take it to its fullest potential.