DAP’s ‘Ulu drive’ won’t succeed — BN leaders

May 27, 2013

“DAP Sarawak only fight for Chinese education and cultures only. DAP mostly addresses issues in urban areas only. DAP hardly go to rural areas.” -Tuan Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah 

Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi

SIBU: The state BN is well prepared to thwart any attempts by the DAP to mislead the people in their bid to establish a support base in the rural areas.

Its secretary-general Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi said this yesterday when asked to comment on DAP’s plan to embark on a ‘Ulu drive’ as it mounts early preparations for the 11th state election.

“We anticipated their moves and are fully prepared to counter any attempts to mislead the rural people,” Dr Rundi, who is also Assistant Minister of Public Utilities (Electricity and Telecommunications), told The Borneo Post.

State DAP chairman Wong Ho Leng said the party needed to make early preparations for the state polls and would go the extra mile to reach out to the people.

The 10th state election was held in April 2011, meaning the term of the current State Legislative Assembly (DUN) will only expire in 2016.

Datuk Fadillah Yusof

Meanwhile, state BN Youth chief Datuk Fadillah Yusof, urged all in the state BN to prepare early for the state polls.

“Get our act together and make sure members are registered as voters. Engage with all the people, listen and understand them, and give the best service in whatever way we can.

“That will be the recipe to win the hearts and minds of the people, and whatever the opposition wants to do is up to them.

“If the people can see and feel that BN can give the best to them, I believe BN will always be the people’s choice,” said Fadillah, who is also Works Minister and Petra Jaya MP.

PRS deputy president Datuk Joseph Entulu said he believed the opposition would not be able to gain any foothold in the rural areas as the people were not receptive to their brand of politics.

Datuk Joseph Entulu

Entulu, who is Selangau MP and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said: “Rural folk want more development, where their level of needs differ from those in the urban areas.

“Rural voters are also still more BN-inclined because of the proven track record. Also, rural people are especially happy with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s leadership.”

PBB supreme council member Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, said DAP could do whatever it liked.

“But it is difficult for them to erase the chauvinist Chinese outlook of the party. It doesn’t go down well with most Bumiputeras. There might be some Bumiputeras who want to let themselves be stooges of DAP…but, generally the majority of Bumis feel otherwise.

“Until DAP can erase that perception, it can forget about the Bumi heartland.”

Abdul Karim Rahman
Hamzah

Abdul Karim, who is Assistant Minister of Youth Development and Asajaya assemblyman, reckoned that DAP needed to steer itself in Sarawak as a party that is for all Sarawakians and not just a single race party before it could go ‘ulu’.

“DAP Sarawak only fight for Chinese education and cultures only. DAP mostly addresses issues in urban areas only. DAP hardly go to rural areas.”

He noticed that DAP elected representatives refused to wear ceremonial songkok for their swearing-in at the DUN “as it reflects the identity of another race!”

“What can you say of such a party and its leaders? Chauvinist? Racist?”