By Lian Cheng
A young Chinese businessman in Kapit today shared something worth pondering, especially for politicians from rural constituencies.
He praised Bukit Goram incumbent Jefferson Jamit Unyai and Katibas new face Lidam Assan who are both Gabungan Parti Sarawak candidates from Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB).
“They are both very humble, hard working, and are always around. They are very different from politicians from the older generation.
“As they both share the same demeanour, it gave me a feeling that they had gone through the same training. Was it true that they were given some kind of training before they were chosen as candidates?” the businessman asked.
To the businessman, an incumbent such as Jamit did not have to work extra hard during campaign time as the voters knew him well and they will automatically vote for him.
Such praises were actually difficult to come by, considering many shopowners in Kapit town only paid their allegiance to former Pelagus assemblyman Larry Sng.
For a long time, Kapit town had been under the spell of Sng, who served the upstream town from 2001 to 2011. Sng stopped contesting in Pelagus in 2011 and moved on to other constituencies. However, the Kapit people continued to remember him as their favourite YB (Yang Berhormat) until Jamit came along.
“Jamit is such an easy-going and humble person. He treats everyone the same, regardless whether you are an Iban, Chinese or Malay. Whatever he can help, he will. He will have no issue in Kapit, as no issue will cause him not to be re-elected,” said the Chinese entrepreneur.
It was said that with Jamit renominated as Bukit Goram candidate, more than 30 per cent of Chinese voters in Kapit will return to GPS.
Note that the compliment paid to Jamit was the same one given to Krian incumbent Ali Biju by Krian’s voters — humble, hard-working, always around, and willing to help.
Meanwhile, in the constituency of Baleh, GPS new face for Baleh Nicholas Kudi Jantai Masing will face a tough fight against Koh Kumbong from Parti Sarawak Bersatu, all because Kudi being new, has yet to be known to voters, in comparison with Koh, who has been a familiar face to the longhouse folk in the area.
Kudi as the nephew and successor of the late Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing who passed away on Oct 31, 2021, however, will enjoy an edge over Koh as Masing’s good deeds remain fresh in the memories of Baleh’s voters. Therefore, a vote for Kudi is a vote for Masing.
Despite so, the prediction was that Kudi will still help GPS retain the seat by a slim majority until the next election where the result may show an improvement if he can be “humble, hard-working, and always around”.
For GPS Ngemah new face Anyi Jana who is dearly known as Cikgu Anyi, this may be his debut but it will be smooth sailing.
If you drive along the Sibu-Kapit Road, after passing by Kanowit, at one stretch, you will see rows of longhouses on both sides of the main road. The place is called Nanga Ngungun Resettlement Scheme, a RASCOM (Rajang Area Security Command) settlement set up in the 60s. Cikgu Anyi’s unit is among one of the longhouses.
Being able to stand under GPS’ banner is not the reason why Anyi is well accepted by his village folk. Just within that resettlement scheme, there are 25 longhouses with 25 headmen. Anyi, with his humility, diligence, and decent personality is already earning respect from the majority of them.
Perhaps like the Kapit young entrepreneur, all that the voters are looking for in an elected representative is neither beauty nor high education. Rather, it is just simple qualities of diligence, humility, sincerity, decency, and being there with them. — DayakDaily
