Battle Royale For Batang Ai - Part 2

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Despite earlier assurance by the EC chairman that the Batang Ai by-election will not be of the same date as the ones for the two Bukits in West Malaysia, it is now confirmed that all the three by-elections will be held simultaneously after all; nomination is on the 29th of March (Sunday) and polling will be on the 7th April (Tuesday), allowing 8 days of campaigning.Advantage one for BN/PRS Sarawak.PKR leaders will be spread out in the two Bukits and across the South China Sea and deep into the Dayak Iban hinterland of Batang Ai.

The travels alone will be energy sapping, not to mention the logistics of it all.Upon reaching Kuching International Airport, they will have to travel by road to Lubok Antu and there from to the various longhouses crises-crossing Batang Ai, and, depending on the roster, they will have to cross "another sea" of the vast Batang Ai dam into the Delok and Engkari, or the Lamanak in the eastern part of this rural State constituency.

There will be very limited accommodation and food outlets, unless they want to stay at the expensive and yet very inconvenient Hilton Batang Ai, as it is located at the other side of the lake. Halal food? Almost none anywhere in Lubok Antu!For BN/PRS these will be of no problems. For accommodations, the troops can stay at the SESCO

Township bungalows, the government quarters and the Klingkang Inn in Lubok Antu Town. There will be of course the brand new Euro copter choppers to ferry VVIPs/ campaigners all over the more remote areas of the constituency.

Then there is the bottomless pit of the BN finance and logistics, not to mention the endless contributions from individuals/towkays/lobbyists, you name it.Plus, the enormous advantage of having the bigwigs of the State Civil Service and all government departments and agencies and State Government linked companies to assist and beef up the BN Election machinery.The odds will be heavily stacked against the PKR.

The logistics, operations and the administration of the campaign will be nightmarish, to say the least. PKR can never match the Sarawak BN in these areas. It is always very difficult to unseat a seat that has been held by the incumbent State Government for many terms, more so in a by-election as it is.With all the campaign war crimes, promises of better lives and living, the issues, all and sundry, it is up to the voters of Batang Ai to decide.


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