In stressing this, Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem defended his statement on barring such extremists from the state, which he issued yesterday, which he said did not smack of arrogance.
"I am not being arrogant but as the chief minister, my top responsibility is to safeguard existing peace and harmony in the state," he said at a leadership seminar for a group of 222 community leaders from the Mukah Division at a hotel here today.
"I have a list of these persona-non-grata. I intend to increase the list to keep out more trouble-makers," he said.
Similarly, he told grassroots community leaders like longhouse and village chiefs that they too, had the power to chase out outsiders who were known to be religious fanatics or racists.
"Your responsibility is to keep the peace and harmony at your longhouse and kampung. Chase out those intending to create potential problems for you and the government," he added.
Adenan also reminded them that they were appointed because they had the influence among the people.
Come the general election or by-election, if those under their jurisdiction chose to vote more for the opposition candidate than the ruling state government's candidate, he said it was an indication that they had lost their influence.
"If you no longer have the influence, there is no point for you to remain in your position," noted the chief minister.
On the Balingian by-election on March 29, he said the people should not be complacent just because they believed that Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Yussibnosh Balo would have no problem in winning against PKR's Abdul Jalil Bujang.
"Remember...we had a situation in the 1996 state elections where BN candidate Tan Sri Dr Wong Soon Kai lost to DAP's Wong Ho Leng for the Bukit Assek seat.
"The majority of the chinese voters had been complacent and stayed away from casting their votes, believing Soon Kai would easily retain his seat again...but the fact was that he lost by only 226 votes," added Adenan.
-- BERNAMA
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