Labuan BN leaders confident of GE14 victory

LABUAN: As 14th General Election (GE14) fever gains momentum, politicians on both sides of the divide are projecting themselves to be the best choices to represent the people as the next government.
Current Member of Parliament for Labuan Datuk Rozman Isli who was prepared to be picked by Umno again and retain the seat for Barisan Nasional (BN) certainly exuded confidence to this end.
"I have nothing to worry about the participation from any opposition in the coming election, whether it is going to be a three-corner or four-corner fight, as the people of Labuan is united and will continue to support BN.
"If more of the opposition are taking part, it shows there is no consensus among them and that make people come and support us," he told Bernama in an interview.
Rozman believed the people still preferred the ruling BN government for its proven track record in administrating the island over the past 33 years.
Labuan MCA chief Datuk Chin Hon Vui said the local Chinese community's support for BN had increased because of the various pledges and assistance provided by the government.
"The BR1M, BL1M, BB1M and PR1M among others have attracted the Chinese community and such assistance greatly helped to ease the burden of the people, as not all Chinese are rich; therefore, the Chinese community will throw their support behind any BN candidate in the coming polls," he said.
Chin said Chinese voters in Labuan would help BN Labuan retain the parliamentary seat, adding, the people would not easily be swayed by the opposition's propaganda.
Meanwhile, an academician and political observer at a local university, Dr Romzi Ationg who conducted a research on contemporary Malaysian and global politics, said BN must not be complacent but work harder not only to win but to ensure that all the opposition parties' candidates lose their deposits.
Labuan was elevated as a federal territory alongside Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya in 1984.
Sabah-based Parti Warisan led by former Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Shafei Apdal reportedly held a number of meetings and political gatherings on the island with local leaders, recently.
Warisan vice-president Junz Wong told a political gathering here of the party's plan to contest in Labuan.
It has also been speculated that another local opposition party, Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah (PHRS) led by former Sabah deputy chief minister and former federal deputy minister Datuk Lajim Ukin would join the fray for the Labuan parliamentary seat.
In the 2013 general election, businessman Tan Sri Ibrahim Menudin Ibrahim contested Labuan as PKR's candidate but obtained only 6,069 votes, losing by a 6,625 majority to Rozman who secured 12,694 votes. – Bernama