In contesting the lion's share of the 25 Malay-Melanau majority seats in Sarawak, PKR has its work cut out. And out to win hearts and minds yesterday - in what many regard as Sarawak BN anchor party PBB's stronghold areas - was its star and de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim. Beginning in the Bidayuh-majority Bengoh some 70km southwest of Kuching, Anwar made a dash across five other constituencies surrounding the capital city with only one - Batu Lintang - being a Chinese-majority area.
The rest - Demak Laut,Tupong,Satok dan Muara Tuang (where PAS is contesting) - are Malay-majority areas within a 40km radius of downtown Kuching.
Anwar was not the only one who had his eye on these seats. Also zig-zagging the western tip of Sarawak was Umi Hafilda Ali, a witness in his first sodomy trial. Perhaps by fate, the duo missed one another at several venues, including the quiet fishing village of Kampung Seberang Bako and the downtown PBB stronghold Satok, by a mere hour.
Anwar's message, albeit tailored for the Malay-Muslim crowd has been fairly consistent with Pakatan's Rakyat campaign points: 'We represent all races and religion and aim to be fair to all. We are one in our fight against corruption, especially against the enemy of the state, Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.”
Those who caught
him last night would have noticed that his speeches had a certain religious bent to it.Speaking to the mainly Muslim crowd, Anwar would use the Quran to drive his point home, reminding his audience that Islam calls for fairness and good governance. To some extent, it appeared to be working on the fairly pious Muslim community.
In Satok, where Anwar garnered a crowd of about 1,000, Fatimah Suyong, who is in her late 50s, told Malaysiakini that 'we must always remember that we are judged in the afterlife'.
“When we are buried we'll be questioned by God, so we need to make sure we beribadat and not support graft,” she said animatedly.
When a video of Taib was aired, Fatimah muttered “malaun” (someone who is damned) at the sight of the CM and said that the state government had shortchanged her when they took over her land not too long ago.
Land-based gripes were also a campaign point in Demak Laut, with PKR banners reminding villagers that compensation is still owing to people whose land was taken at Assar Sanari, where a factory now stands.
Smut and scandal
But while grassroots leaders supporting local boy and PKR candidate Ali Hossin Abang spoke of local development in the mainly middle- to lower-class village, Umi next door had other things on her mind.
The self-proclaimed 'community activist' railed against Anwar, leading the crowd in chants of 'Anwar gila seks' (Anwar is a sex maniac) and 'Hidup Mahathir' (Long live Mahathir). Naming former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the saviour of the Malays, Umi worked the crowd of 200 - a third of which appeared to be children under 12 - into a frenzy with descriptions of smut and scandal.
Kampung Seberang Bako has about 100 longhouses with each house containing several families.
Speaking at the PBB-sponsored event, she also mentioned Iban Baginda Minda, who recently claimed that Umi is no saint either because she 'had illicit sex with him'.
“So I sued him for RM100 million recently!” she proudly exclaimed, before telling the audience not to vote for PKR, and that the party's symbol actually depicts “Anwar's anus”.
The crude talk, which at times took place in the dark due to erratic electricity, seemed to amuse the adults, but several asked by Malaysiakini admitted to not knowing who Umi is. “I just know she is from the peninsula,” said a man.
Asked if he believes Umi, another man, who wanted to be known only as Yazid, chuckled uncomfortably and said: “All these things they are saying about Anwar…tak tau lah (I just don't know).”
Boost for BN
Yesterday former PKR Youth leader and now BN senator Ezam Mohd Nor Nor was spotted campaigning for the ruling coalition in Malay areas around Kuching.
Many more personalities from the peninsula - and who have fallen out with PKR - are expected to emerge in the PBB camp in the second half of the campaign.
It is understood that another PKR turncoat Lokman Adam is in the state for the duration of the campaign.
BN has, ironically, warned Sarawakians against falling for the wiles of 'ghosts' from the peninsula.
Demak Laut - where many PKR flags were spotted - has traditionally supported BN, as have Satok, Muara Tuang and Tupong.
PKR insiders claim that the coalition is hoping to increase its vote bank there by about 10 percent. BN took about 70 percent of votes in Malay-majority areas in 2006.-Aidila Razak
source:malaysiakini
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