I apologise to the people of Sarawak and Malaysia for Pakatan Harapan’s failure to ensure a one-to-one contest with Barisan Nasional in the 11th Sarawak state election.
I was not involved in the negotiations at any stage and I do not propose to revisit this sorry chapter of Pakatan Harapan until after Polling Day on May 7.
I apologize to the people of Sarawak and Malaysia for the failure of Pakatan Harapan to ensure a one-to-one contest against the Barisan Nasional in the Sarawak state election and promise that DAP leaders, members and supporters at all levels will work doubly or even trebly hard to compensate for the failure of Pakatan Harapan to ensure a one-to-one contest against the Barisan Nasional.
I do not know how Pakaran Harapan is going to pick up the pieces as a result of the failure of the Pakatan Harapan electoral pact in the Sarawak state election, but let us leave it till after the Polling Day on May 7.
Our one and only task now is to focus on the Barisan Nasional for the next 12 days in the Sarawak election campaign, and ensure that the voters of Sarawak make a historic choice on May 7 in the best and higher interests of Sarawak and Malaysia.
Tan Sri Adenan Satem has asked for another five years as Sarawak Chief Minister.
He said recently: “I am already 72 and in five more years I will be 77 years old. Enough la, I am already old.”
Today, the Nomination Day of the 11th Sarawak state election, Adenan has been granted his wish to be Chief Minister of Sarawak for one more term or another five years.
This is because there is no question after Nomination Day today that Adenan will be the Sarawak Chief Minister after the May 7 polling day.
Adenan getting his wish to be Sarawak Chief Minister for another five years after the 11th Sarawak state general election on May 7 is as sure as the sun rising in the east!
Even if DAP wins all the 31 State Assembly seats that we are contesting (which nobody expects), Adenan’s position as the Sarawak Chief Minister is totally secure and untouchable, as there are a total of 82 state assembly seats.
In fact regardless of whether the candidates of the other non-PBB parties win or lose, Adenan’s re-appointment as Sarawak Chief Minister for another five years is totally secure and completely unshakeable.
What the voters of Sarawak must ensure is that the human disease of “Power tends to corrupt, Absolute Power tends to corrupt absolutely” does not afflict Adenan and Sarawak in the next five years because of unchecked exercise of power.
Ideally, the most effective check and safeguard against any abuse of power by any Chief Minister is to deny him two-thirds majority in the Sarawak State Assembly. But even this objective is a very “tall order” in the May 7 state election, as it will mean the Opposition winning a total of 28 seats to deny Adenan two-thirds majority in an Assembly of 82 seats.
Next to denying Adenan two-thirds majority in the Sarawak State Assembly is to ensure a strong and effective Opposition in the Sarawak State Assembly.
This is why we are asking the Sarawak voters to endorse the two objectives of Sarawak DAP in the 11th Sarawak state elections – firstly, to defend the 12 DAP State Assembly seats won in the previous Sarawak state elections in 2011, and secondly, to achieve a breakthrough by winning several of the 19 other seats which the DAP is contesting to send into the Sarawak State Assembly not only Chinese, but Dayak and Malay State Assembly representatives.
The 11th Sarawak state general election is a most unique and historic one – for it will be the first state general election where Sarawakian voters will be voting for two posts, that of the Chief Minister of Sarawak and the Prime Minister of Malaysia.
The issue of the Sarawak Chief Minister for the next five years has been settled on Nomination Day today – as no one doubts that it is not Adenan Satem.
But the issue concerning the Malaysian Prime Ministerr will have to await the May 7 polling result to know the outcome.
When accompanying Adenan to file his nomination papers this morning, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib said that the 11th Sarawak state elections is “a precursor” to the 14th parliamentary general elections in two years.
Najib said that a “comfortable victory” for the Barisan Nasional in the Sarawak state general election will be crucial to boost Barisan Nasional “confidence” for the 14GE in 2018.
Najib is even more concerned than Adenan about the outcome of the May 7 poll in the Sarawak state election, for Adenan’s objective of another five years as Sarawak Chief Minister has already been achieved, while Najib’s endorsement as Prime Minister of Malaysia with a Barisan Nasional “comfortable victory” is still not certain.
Najib has become Malaysia’s most unpopular Prime Minister with calls for him to step down as Prime Minister increasing by the day.
Najib would want to have a “comfortable victory” in Sarawak state election as a trophy he can take back to Putrajaya to show the rest of Malaysia and the world that he has the confidence and mandate of the people of Sarawak to continue as Prime Minister of Malaysia – despite becoming the butt of international criticisms and attacks for his role in Malaysia’s twin global financial scandals, the RM4.2 billion “donation” and RM50 billion 1MDB mega scandals.
Voters of Sarawak, when they cast their vote on May 7, must think hard and deep on whether they want their vote to become an endorsement of Najib as Malaysian Prime Minister – especially as the question of Adenan as Sarawak Chief Minister for the next five years has already been resolved on Nomination Day today.
(Speech at the first DAP Kuching ceramah for 11th Sarawak state election at 101 Ambank, Kuching on Monday, April 25, 2016 at 10 pm)