KUCHING, April 15 — With just 12 hours left on the campaign clock, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has confidently declared that Pakatan Rakyat is now looking beyond denying Barisan Nasional its two-thirds majority and aiming to capture Sarawak. But the PR de facto leader said the final hours would prove crucial to ensure BN’s last-ditched attempt to use money politics and underhanded tactics to steal opposition votes would not succeed.
“We are very optimistic we are going to go far beyond that (denying two-thirds), we are pushing to deny BN its monopoly of the state,” he said.
But Anwar stopped short of saying the opposition pact would wrest the hornbill state from BN entirely, reiterating that the alleged deployment of BN agents to buy votes would be hard to stop.
“We are pushing towards that although we know it is still uphill.
“But if the process has been free and fair from the beginning, I have no qualms about that... however, we are fighting against the entire government machinery.
“We are concerned of the development in the next few hours,” he said.
Just two days back, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had admitted that retaining its two-thirds majority in the 71-seat state assembly would be a “bonus”.
BN’s campaign for Sarawak, led by Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud for 30 years, thus far has been described by many as lacklustre, heavily bogged down by the anti-Taib stigma and the numerous allegations of corruption and abuse of power.
Reports from across the state have returned that PR’s rah-rah had successfully drawn the usually conservative Sarawakians out from their homes to stand for hours at ceramahs without the enticement of free food, drinks or goodie bags.
According to many PR leaders, the impressive showing had been consistent across the communities and had not dwindled since Day One, despite claims from BN that voters had grown bored of the opposition’s rhetoric.
Anwar said it was the longstanding issues plaguing the various communities in the resource-rich state that had drawn the people out from complacency and this would finally take its toll on BN when polling day arrives tomorrow.
The former deputy prime minister said voters were now aware of how their land had been allegedly stolen “by the rich and mighty leaders” and how timber had been squandered “by hundreds of thousands of hectares”.
Najib’s recent admission that BN’s two-thirds dream would be hard to realise, added Anwar, was a clear indication that the ruling pact was now shaking in its shoes that a state long considered its fortress would soon slip through its fingers.
“These issues and the statement of concern by Najib show we are an effective and formidable challenge to the BN,” he said.
Anwar said however that PR campaigners were now on guard and would be closely monitoring the movements of its foes in the opposite camp.
“We are also asking voters in the Iban and Bidayuh areas, and the heartland, to monitor this closely... not only just the bribery but we fear that the process will be flawed,” he said.
Asked for further details on the alleged vote-buying taking place in the interior of the state, Sarawak PKR Youth former vice-chairman Granda Aing claimed that he had received information from voters that villages were each receiving RM6,000 while each villager received up to RM2,000.
“This is as of yesterday,” he said.
“We heard this from recipients themselves,” Anwar said.
He said the extent of corruption in Sarawak far surpassed that of the peninsula and voters in the state had been hoodwinked for the past 30 years into trusting in the administration.
“How do you deal with this? Through intimidation. Last night, I had to deal with a Muslim area and they have been saying that Anwar is responsible for attempting to remove the Muslim chief minister and replace him with a Christian Dayak.
“This is their campaign, from BN and condoned by his supporters,” he said.
He also announced that BN’s latest attempt to hamper the opposition’s chances tomorrow was in barring the entry of Bersih chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenavasan into Sarawak this morning.
“Can you imagine... this is 2011 but any individual or civil society that wants to monitor the polls to ensure a free and fair election is barred.
“This is regrettable, that the people of Sarawak have been duped and treated as fools,” he said.
Anwar noted that the outcome of the polls would likely have a national effect and present PR with a snapshot of its chances in the coming general election.
“But whatever the decision, the growing awareness of the people is enough to signal that the people, no matter where they come from, are rejecting such politics of unfairness and cruelty,” he said.
Sarawakians will decide on their next government at the ballot boxes tomorrow in what is considered the state’s most closely fought polls. There are 979,796 registered voters in the state and 71 state seats in the assembly.
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