Gedong won with tears; Mawan wants to jump off 5th floor

by Jimmy Adit

ELECTION TALK: Sarawak Administrative Officer (SAO) John Ilus beats close to half a dozen other BN nominees to the Bukit Semuja candidacy and that sure speaks volume of the confidence State Barisan Nasional chairman, Chief Minister Adenan Satem, has in one who is seen as a political greenhorn.

While names like Gabriel Kajeh, Stanley Sila, Alexander Ganyang and Dr Eric Munjan had been hogging the limelight, John’s had hardly appeared even in passing remarks.

Yet after weeks of intense lobbying, Adenan picks John. Why?

Adenan did not say why, at least not openly, but my source said for Bukit Semuja the chief minister had three basic criteria he wanted fulfilled – local boy, partyless and never stood against the BN in past elections.

John fulfills all three requirements – he is from Kampung Riih Mawang, which is within the Slabi polling district; he is not a member of any party; and he has a clean record – politically clean and a dedicated officer.

The same cannot be said of the rest. Kajeh, Stanley and Alexander are party officials at branch or unit levels while Dr Eric was an opposition candidate in the 90s.

Apparently, while the other Bukit Semuja suitors were tripping over each other to get to the finish line, John continued to go about his duties as SAO, attending official functions as a representative of the District Officer and organising and overseeing official events that included the visits of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Adenan to Serian Division.    

On several occasions I was tempted to draw attention to John as a serious contender in the race for the Bukit Semuja candidacy but each time I told myself it was not right because I could cause him harm.

He was a serving government servant, drawing attention to him would only pit him against politicians, and if he failed to make it he could end up in the bad book of his rivals. For a government servant that could be costly.

So you could say John makes it without publicity, without making public statements of his interest and without the kind of drama some did to draw attention to themselves – and elicit sympathy. 

Naroden Majais, for example, cried in front of thousands and those tears he shed won him Gedong candidacy.

William Mawan, the president of Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (Teras), who has yet to get the nod from Adenan, decided to go to the extreme.

He wants Pakan so bad that he is willing to do whatever Adenan wants him to do, including jumping from the fifth floor of a building if Adenan says so.

My guess is, Mawan probably has learned those magic tricks of master illusionists like David Blaine and David Copperfield who can go through the Great Wall of China, make the Leaning Tower of Paris disappear and jump down from some of New York’s skyscrapers.

Tasik Biru, Pakan and Marudi had all seen several huge events that drew folk by the tens of thousands and they were paid to come, so many said.

If Adenan is interested, he can be sure Sarawakians from throughout the state will come on their own expenses to see Mawan jump from, let’s say, the Civic Centre from where a couple of people had tried similar stunts in the past but did not live to enjoy their fame.

Some people were born to be leaders and they command a following willing to do what their leader does.

I see a hell lot of Mawan loyalists who should add to the merriment if they too will jump along with him.

  

If that does happen, it will be Mawan’s last political jumping act. It will be the ultimate jump, and after that he need not jump anymore because Adenan and Sarawakians will surely be satisfied that here indeed is a loyalist to his last.

Unfortunately, Adenan will have to look for someone else to stand in Pakan.

Source : http://www.theantdaily.com/