BN's low-key campaigning for by-election out of respect for late CM

KUCHING: The Barisan Nasional (BN) campaigning for the Tanjong Datu by-election is still very low key.
According to state BN youth chief Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, this was out of respect for the sentiments on the ground.
"The people of Tanjong Datu have just lost their representative, Tan Sri Adenan Satem and they are still missing him.
"On the other hand, Sarawak too, has lost a very popular chief minister in Adenan. Either way, the sense of mourning is still very much felt, especially on the ground.
"So, we are not going out to campaign in a very big way," he told the media here today.
Despite this, Fadillah said Barisan Nasional had specific strategies to Tanjong Datu voters to come out in full force to vote on Feb 12 for early voters and on Feb 18 for the rest.
"We do not want the people to be complacent even though the seat is considered a very safe seat for us.
"It is very crucial that every voter turn up to give the biggest of majority to BN candidate Jamilah Anu (Adenan's widow).
"But of course, I cannot announce here in the media our straegies. We will also reach out, especially to the young voters and those working outside the constituency," he said.
Tanjong Datu has a total of 9,959 registered voters. In the 2016 state election, the late incumbent Adenan won it with a majority of 6,360 votes. The sole opposition candidate from PKR, Jazolkipli Numan could only garner 468 votes from a turnout of 6,936.
Fadillah reminded the people that a very big majority meant they were strongly endorsing the continution of Adenan's development policies and plans for Tanjong Datu, and saying a big 'yes' to the state government under his successor, new Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg.
On the opposition, he said they would be full of rhetorics and would try to stir the people's sentiments against the state government.
With or without the by-election, he said Tanjong Datu would still get its share of development and progress.
"As a matter of fact, the ongoing construction of the 45km-long, RM580 million Teluk Melano-Sematan Road in the constituency, part of the Sarawak Pan-Borneo Highway project, is a very good example," he said.
On more water and power supply projects, he said works were in progress to bring them in the area.
"We are doing this slowly ... phase by phase, but steadily. We will also look into any land issue," he added.