KUCHING, April 25: The general atmosphere was positive as all 31 state Barisan Nasional (BN) candidates received their letters of appointment to contest in the upcoming 14th General Election (GE14) this morning.
As state BN chairman Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg personally called each of their names and presented their respective letter to them, the chief minister also wished them all the best and to fight hard for Sarawak.
The short ceremony was held at Parti Pesaka Bumiputera (PBB) headquarters here.
After the ceremony, Abang Johari told members of the press that he is confident the state BN will win in the coming election and help deliver the state for caretaker Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Meanwhile, state BN secretary-general Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi who will contest for his fifth term in Kapit said Sarawak BN will win under Najib, with at least 29 out of the 31 seats.
“We will work hard to ensure that the state BN will win. And as far as we in the state are concerned, we know the significant role that Sarawak plays. And we want to give the best overall performance to BN in the country,” he said when met outside PBB headquarters hall this morning.
He added that if Sarawak were to contribute the most seats to BN in GE14, then it will play a significant role in governing the country.
“For myself, I am confident in winning this GE14, as how I won in GE13. As you know, this is my fifth time contesting in the election, so I am thankful for the opportunity to fight again for Kapit and for Sarawak.
“As our chief minister has said, he wants Sarawak to be a developed state in the digital economy, and me, being renominated means I am still relevant and capable to see through what Abang Johari wants for Sarawak,” Alexander said.
He gave his assurance that he will continue with what he has done, and vowed to do better as there is much more to be done for Kapit.
“I will focus on the people’s and development needs in Kapit. All these years, we have achieved quite a lot for Kapit, such as road, electricity and water supply (development). Although not all areas are 100 per cent connected with the three basic infrastructure mentioned, we will improve and do more,” he said, adding that this is why BN needed to stay on.
“Apart from that, we will pay more attention in strategy and approach on how to upgrade the socio-economic level of the rural people,” he added.
With the establishment of Upper Rajang Development Agency (URDA), he said they can now focus on strategies to upgrade the residents’ socio-economic wellbeing in Kapit, Hulu Rejang and Kanowit. — DayakDaily
