S'WAK POLLS Incumbent SUPP assemblyperson for Senadin Lee Kim Shin's long political career almost came to an end in the 2011 Sarawak state election.

The only thing that kept his career alive then were 58 votes, which gave him a razor-thin majority to beat PKR's Michael Teo, and left him as the only BN assemblyperson among the three reps in the urban Miri district.

Lee, however, is unshaken by the near political death experience, and is confident he can get better results come polling day on May 7.

"With my track record, and from the feedback I've received, I should be able to do better this year.

"Also, based on the last parliamentary election results, my voting area (BN) won by almost 2,000 votes," he told Malaysiakini in an interview at his office in Miri.

Teo, his foe during the 2011 state elections, ultimately won the Miri parliamentary seat in 2013.

Lee said under him, the Senadin constituency has seen considerable growth, especially in Desa Senadin, Tudan and Permai Jaya which were previously peat swamps.

He also helped to secure the promise of upgrades to the Miri Hospital from Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, to make it a regional hospital serving northern Sarawak.

"Currently if people here have heart cases they have to wait six months (to get treatment in Kuching. Some wait until they die," Lee said.

His promise to voters, if they give him a fifth term in the state legislative assembly, is that more development will come to Senadin to benefit the people.

However, like the rest of Sarawak BN, the assistant communications minister has taken to dismissing national issues being played up by DAP such as the goods and services tax and the 1MDB scandal.

"This is a state election, focus on state issues. I don't think (peninsular issues) have a big impact (on Sarawak BN)."

While this approach may work in the rural areas, pundits have said that both GST and 1MDB will be major factors in urban and Chinese seats.

Senadin is an urban seat, and almost 50 percent of voters are Chinese. Another 44 percent are bumiputra voters, half of whom are Malay Melanau.

Lee is contesting in a straight fight with DAP's Bob Baru Langub.