KUCHING: Barisan Nasional's win in Sarawak must hold a special meaning for BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak, whose untiring campaign and sheer energy helped cement the victory.
Najib's campaign schedule in the recent election was punishing by any standard.
Days packed with a 14-hour schedule, even 16 hours, were the norm for the 58-year-old prime minister. Najib's hectic schedule saw him criss-crossing the state -- the size of the peninsula -- to reach as many voters as possible in the 10-day campaign period.
He reportedly saw more of Sarawak in the 10 days than his two years in office.
A fleet of helicopters made it possible for Najib to reach many of the rural areas.
Everywhere he went, he did his famous walkabouts, as he sought to get close to the public and hear their problems and aspirations.
Najib set the tone for the campaign when he launched the "Sejiwa Senada" programme in Serian, 65km from here, on March 19.
Before flying off to Serian, he "connected" with his Facebook friends in a breakfast meeting at the old state assembly building in Petra Jaya.
Joining him at the launch of the "Sejiwa Senada" programme were Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who also made several visits to the state, and Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.
Najib went on a walkabout in Serian town, where he met shopkeepers and traders before having lunch with communal leaders.
A quick lunch, then it was off to a meet-the-leader gathering in Semera in Sadong Jaya, 10 minutes by helicopter but a 90-minute drive by road. Then he returned to Kuala Lumpur.
The campaign visits were brief. But they generated excitement and much enthusiasm as Najib had ventured to places no other prime minister had ever gone.
It was excitement that drove hundreds to come out to catch a glimpse of Najib and listen to his views.
Najib's visit to the Stutong market on April 10 set off a frenzy and it was replicated in many of his walkabouts.
Vegetable seller Chin Sing Chong, 71, could hardly contain his joy when the prime minister signed a shirt on his back.
This hospitality and warmth accorded to Najib at the market was repeated in towns like Saratok, Betong, Sibu, Kapit and Limbang Lawas in the next few days.
Najib made five trips to Sarawak and covered programmes like the launch of Standard Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia's (Sirim) "pintar" and "robokit" in the coastal resort of Santubong, near here, and joined prayers at village surau.
The prime minister's campaign trail was so tightly packed that he flew straight here on April 10 from Seoul, after an official visit.
No function was too small for him. Even a visit to a futsal court was included. And that generated much excitement and a chance to meet more people.
Najib's message everywhere, whether in Betong, Kapit or Satok, was the same.
His enthusiasm and willingness to rub shoulders with ordinary people made a lot of difference to BN.
He asked the people to pick their leaders based on a realistic choice and not emotion or rhetoric of the opposition.
"The future of Sarawak depends on who can deliver more and better, not only in developing more basic infrastructure in rural areas.
"Improvement in the quality of life, improvement in how people live and improvement in the harmonious relations among the various races," Najib said on his campaign trail in Kapit to declare open the new express boat terminal there.
Najib also emphasised that strong cooperation between the federal and state governments was important for an efficient service delivery.
Conducting a polls post-mortem, Najib said: "We gave hope to the people when we said we can make changes and bring transformation to the state, which the people have accepted, especially the government transformation programme."
The momentum of change will be stepped up so that BN can maintain the people's support, which it looks for in the 13th general election.
Without a doubt, Najib going on the campaign trail helped bring victory to BN.- NST Online
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