KUCHING, April 25 — Corporate lawyer Rita Sarimah anak Patrick Insol wants to make history by becoming the first Dayak woman to be elected as a member of parliament (MP).
The 57-year-old mother of three will contest the federal seat of Selangau on Barisan Nasional’s (BN) ticket in the 14th general election (GE14) on May 9. Nomination day for GE14 is on April 28.
“God willing, I will become the first Dayak woman to be elected as an MP,” she told reporters after receiving the letter of authorisation allowing her to use BN’s symbol from Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg at PBB headquarters here today.
Sarimah replaces caretaker minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun, who was sacked as a member of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) three days ago, in Selangau.
She said contesting GE14 is both a challenging and exciting time for her because she is a political greenhorn.
“Nevertheless, I am confident that, with the support of all the grassroots leaders from all the component parties, we can deliver the Selangau seat for state BN,” she said.
“It is exciting because if you see in the BN manifesto, it is all about transforming the economy and improving and upgrading (dilapidated) rural schools.
“These matters are close to my heart,” said the former head of the legal division of the Bintulu Port Holdings Berhad’s group of companies.
She said Selangau is a big constituency in terms of area so it needs a lot of basic infrastructure, like good feeder roads and utilities.
“We also need to improve economic activities by going into modern farming, instead of relying on oil palm plantations,” she said, adding that most of the people living in longhouses are old people and women, while the youngsters work in towns across the country.
Sarimah said she has been working hard to prepare herself for the GE14.
“After going around for 14 months, the people know who I am. However, I still need to work harder to win the support of the people,” she said.
When asked if she felt threatened should Entulu contest as an Independent against her, she replied: “We believe in democracy and on our part, we will do our level best, and with the help of our component parties, we can win.”
