Chief Minister Adenan Satem is confident the Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) will win at least 60 to 70 seats during the coming state election.

The state BN chairperson said with the current line-up in his ‘Team Adenan’, the state government would continue to remain at the helm for another term.

“After a tour of Sarawak, (through the ‘One Heart, One Tune’ programme), there is hope for BN. Maybe not all 82 seats but at least, we can win 60 to 70 seats.

“As long as we are united,” he told a packed crowd at the launch of the ‘One Heart, One Tune’ programme organised by the state government and its agencies in Sri Aman today.

Also present were Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu, Sarawak Housing and Tourism Minister Abang Johari Openg, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Douglas Uggah; Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rohani Abdul Karim and Sarawak state secretary Mohamad Morshidi Ghani.

In the 2011 state election, BN took 55 of the 71 seats while the rest were won by DAP (12 seats), PKR (three), and Independent (one).

In the coming 11th Sarawak state election, 11 new seats will be up for grabs following the electoral boundary redelineation last year, bringing the number of seats at stake to 82.

Adenan had earlier announced that the Sarawak state legislative assembly would be dissolved on April 11.

At today’s event, Adenan also announced United People Party (UPP) vice-president and UPP Youth chief Dr Johnical Rayong Ngipa as BN direct candidate for the Engkilili seat in the coming state election.

He further confirmed that the incumbent for Lingga (Simoi Peri), Balai Ringin (Snowdan Lawan), Bukit Begunan (Mong Dagang), Simanggang (Francis Harden Hollis) and Batang Ai (Malcom Mussen Lamoh) would remain as BN candidates.

“I hope you will return them again as part of my team, ‘Adenan's Team’,” he said.

Met by the media later, Johnical, who is defending the Engkilili seat for the third term, urged everyone to respect the official announcement by the chief minister that he was the BN candidate.

“I hope everyone will work with me to ensure a landslide victory for BN, especially when the chief minister wants a strong five-year mandate,” he said.

The ‘One Heart, One Tune’ programme was first launched in Miri from Jan 8 to 10, this year. It is aimed at forging closer relations between the government and the people through the concept of ‘turun padang’ or going to the ground.

Various events were drawn up during the programme, including development seminars, talks (ceramah), traditional sport competitions, cooking demonstrations and performances by popular artistes.

- Bernama