The failure of the opposition to bring development to four states under its ambit will be its drawback in wooing the people of Sarawak, said Umno vice-president Mohd Shafie Apdal.

"We are aware that efforts to bring development to rural areas are not as simple as making promises as what had happened in Selangor, Penang, Kedah and Kelantan.

"They must be translated into reality.

"Why should the people of Sarawak accept them (the opposition) as they had been rejected in Tenang and Kerdau (by-elections)," he told reporters after opening a seminar on district development in Kuala Lumpur today.

Mohd Shafie, who is also minister of rural and regional development, said in Sarawak, despite tough challenges faced, the federal government had built 244.47km of rural roads that had benefited the people in rural areas.

Meanwhile, Mohd Shafie said officers from district offices and agencies under the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development should get closer to the people to identify their problems.

"If we fail to get correct information or database, whatever we do will not be in tandem with what is actually happening and desired by people at the grassroots level," he said.

Attended by 300 officers from the state secretariat, state development office, federal development office and the ministry, the seminar aims at formulating strategies to support the New Economic Model, the Government Transformation Programme and the National Key Result Areas.

- Bernama