KUCHING: Tan Sri William Mawan the BN-SPDP candidate in Saratok appears to be facing a ‘war of emotion’ of sorts
While trying to appease the disgruntled party members who threatened to defect to the opposition is daunting, he said that he and his campaign managers had all the (BN) machinery on hand to ensure a win even how small.
Mawan’s team is facing not only hardcore PKR loyalists who have grown into the thousands, particularly in the Iban-dominant Krian, but also several ‘last minute’ defectors trying very hard to frustrate his election on May 5.
Some of these defectors, claiming that their conscience was clear, were still overwhelmed by emotion when one of their choices the incumbent MP Jelaing Mersat, was not picked by the BN to defend the seat.
When met here on Tuesday night, Mawan appeared calm but his body language suggested otherwise because of betrayal from the very people he has personally plucked from nowhere to become leaders complete with respectable income and a sizeable number of loyalists.
According to Mawan, if the BN had chosen Jelaing or anyone of his loyalists to be the (Saratok) candidate, he (Mawan) was sure that he would be campaigning by his side. But, when he was chosen, all of them immediately turned their back on him either out of frustration or confusion or both.
As if that was not enough, his detractors were now siding with the very group they had opposed when they were in the BN fold or when they seemed to act like they were Mawan’s men.
As a true blue BN man Mawan could not escape from talking about BN’s plan to improve Saratok and the general well-being of the people.
“After he efforts put up by the BN and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to develop the nation and to achieve Vision 2020, he (Najib) came out with Government Transformation programme and Economic Transformation programme.
“I am sure the PM is not happy with people who have been with us (BN) but in the end failed to overcome their emotion.”
Najib has recently advised BN leaders to sulk for 24 hours if they were not re-nominated but after that they must come back to their senses and support BN.
Mawan who is also Minister of Social Development said: “As it has always been, I am always with the people. And Saratok voters are no exception. I will always be with you and I am for you.”
On Tuesday Mawan intensified his campaign by holding talks at Rh Ragai Tembedak Gelang in Pelasu, Roban where 13 village chieftains and their respective JKKK members to explain to the people why the BN chose him as the candidate over several potential candidates including Jelaing who is the party’s senior vice-president.
Yesterday, Mawan was warmly received by around 300 people including community leaders at the Saratok community hall where he explained the need to change the BN candidate and his pleadge to serve the people well.
On a related matter, some overzealous people had vandalised wooden election billboards bearing Mawan’s photographs.
Campaigners of Mawan’s closest rival, PKR candidate Ali Biju, has set up a giant billboard supported by metal scaffoldings to ensure that it would not be easily vandalised.
Ali is also Krian assemblyman after he beat the then SPDP deputy president Datuk Peter Nyarok in the last state election.
Ali’s candidacy in Saratok has prompted pundits and observers to claim that the seat is the most watched. Although there is an independent candidate Dato Abang Rosli Abang Paleng joining the fray, the contest between Ali and Mawan is likened to the fight between David and Goliath. Only this time, Goliath is Ali – a reputation gained after beating Nyarok in 2011. - theborneopost
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