Written by Selena Tay , Malaysia
As the clock ticks down to a historic election verdict on Saturday, Malaysia
Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and his Pakatan Rakyat team are keeping their cards close to their chest but one way or another, win or lose, things will never be the same in the Land of the Hornbills. A political awakening has taken root and will continue to grow and flourish in the years to come.
"Knowledge is power and BN is very afraid that we might be making headway in our campaign to the indigenous and tribal people," PKR MP for Kuantan Fuziah Salleh told Malaysia
"Once they are no longer ignorant and have the same access to education, modernisation and facilities such as the Internet, that is the end of the BN. The BN's 'fixed deposit' for votes will be lost."
Chased out from hotel
Realising that Pakatan workers are going to make land rights a top issue, BN campaigners have resorted to unethical means including threatening the business people there to boycott the Pakatan.
In Balingian, where Taib is being challenged by PKR's political greenhorn Suriati Abdullah, Pakatan workers have been booted out of the hotels where they have been staying. One of these was because the hotel owner is an SUPP man. Additionally, all of PKR's ceramah permits have been cancelled.
"Even houseowners who have earlier agreed to let us use their premises for ceramahs have been threatened. We can't blame them for backing down and turning hostile to us," said Fuziah.
PKR party workers have also received death threats and have been warned to leave Balingian with immediate effect or face the consequences.
"Yes, it is true the situation in Balingian is getting very intense with each and every minute," said Fuziah.
Amazing Race-Borneo Jungle
As for PAS, which is contesting 5 seats, the Islamist party is facing another sort of problem altogether - access to petrol.
PAS MP for Shah Alam Khalid Samad, who has been busy campaigning in Sarawak for weeks now, says he feels like he is participating in reality TV shows such as Survivor or Amazing Race-Borneo Jungle.
After setting out from Muara Tuang to go to Sadong Jaya, Khalid was informed by a PAS party worker in Sadong Jaya that if he hasn't got large cans and bottles of petrol with him, he should turn back to Muara Tuang to get some. Apparently, there is no petrol station all the way from Muara Tuang to Sadong Jaya.
The distance is like going from one state to another in the peninsula and the lack of these basic facilities has amazed Khalid, especially since Sarawak is an oil-rich state. In the end, he had no choice but to turn back to Muara Tuang to get petrol supplies stored in large cans and bottles.
"I was shocked to hear that there was no petrol station all along the way. The PAS worker told me that this is the way of life in the interiors. But this is an oil-rich state? What has Chief Minister Taib Mahmud been doing all this while?" Khalid told Malaysia
Despite uninterrupted rule for the past 3 decades with Taib at the helm, BN has still not found enough time to develop the state. Living conditions in the interiors are deplorable.
The river, a source of life, is abused. As there are no toilets, cooking stoves, electricity or clean water, Sarawakians in the interior rely on the river for their daily needs.
"It is 30 years too late. The indigenous people should not waste any more time and just boot out the BN. Their lives are really a sort of throwback to the Stone Age. For me, it is like the Amazing Race-Borneo Jungle and a great shame to Taib, who instead of helping his people betrayed them," said Khalid.
- Malaysia
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