Sarawak polls: Candidates make last push

Vital checks: Election Commission staff Anita Nawar and Nor Alam Shah Talib making final inspections on ballot boxes at the community hall in Simmanggang ahead of polling day on Saturday. — ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star

KUCHING: With polling just 48 hours away, it is crunch time for candidates to make a final push for votes and to get the electorate out on polling day.

Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) candidate for Batu Kawah Datuk Seri Dr Sim Hui Kian said he would continue to remind voters on the importance of a stable government and having capable leaders to head the efforts towards post-pandemic economic recovery.

“Thanks to the spirit of Sarawak solidarity in the war against Covid-19, we have been able to roll out booster shots and bring down the number of cases,” he said.

He appealed to voters to give him a chance to serve for another five years.

He also urged voters to exercise their duty on polling day, assuring them that the standard operating procedure was in place to ensure their safety.

“Please come out to vote as you will be deciding the state’s next five years. With stringent SOP in place, it will be safe to vote,” he said.

For Telang Usan incumbent Dennis Ngau of GPS, the next two days will see him visiting six more longhouses to canvass for votes from the Orang Ulu community.

While he has the advantage of face-to-face campaigns, Dennis said it was time-consuming due to the distance between longhouses located in the interior.

Parti Sarawak Bersatu secretary-general George Lo said the party was concerned that the people would misunderstand the Election Commission’s “recommended time” to cast their votes.

“We are worried that voters may think if they cross the recommended voting time, they can no longer vote when the fact is it can be done throughout the day right until 5pm.

“On our part, PSB is aggressively educating the people that the time given is just a recommendation,” he said.

Lo said PSB candidates had faced challenges, especially in penetrating longhouses, as the dwellers apparently were told not to accept “visitors”.

“But we have persevered. We will make further attempts to approach voters at longhouses,” he said.

Parti Sedar Rakyat Sarawak president Datuk Othman Abdillah believes that people would come out to vote.

“They will come out because they want to vote and change (the government),” he said.

Othman, who is contesting in Samariang, said he would go around town “to be seen” as he felt that campaigning via social media was less impactful.

An Independent candidate, known as Cardock, said he planned to up his game.

He likened it to a football match where the game is only over when the final whistle is blown.

“I cannot lower the bar and also cannot be complacent but I will continue and even increase my effort to win the Dudong seat,” said Cardock whose real name is Fadhil Mohd Isa.

DAP candidate for Batu Kawah Kelvin Yii said the final 48 hours of the campaign period were crucial.

“We must let the people know how we plan to uplift them, especially during these tough times. We are going to the constituency, to listen to the people and come up with solutions,” he said.

On his experience campaigning in Batu Kawah, Yii said it had been challenging but also exciting.