Don't come to Sarawak to disrupt harmony - Abang Johari

Outsiders should not come to Sarawak for the 11th state election just to disrupt the existing harmony among the local people, said PBB deputy president Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg.

He said whatever action taken by the state government specifically in exercising its autonomy with regard to immigration should not be questioned as it is aimed at maintaining the peace in Sarawak.

"If their intention to enter Sarawak is good, we will allow. We can be cordial.

"But if the intention is not good, then we block them," he told reporters after nomination closed for N8 Satok at Dewan Sekolah Kebangsaan Merpati Jepang here.

Abang Johari who was the state Housing and Tourism Minister before the dissolution of the state legislative assembly on April 11, said Kuching as the capital of Sarawak had been declared a City of Unity by 1Malaysia Foundation.

"The (foundation's) panel covered the whole of Malaysia in their research and said, 'If you want to see a model of unity, it is Sarawak and Kuching in particular.' They declared Kuching as unity city of Malaysia.

"If we are already living in harmony, we are good, our families are good, so we don't want others to disturb that," he said.

On his age, Abang Johari, 66, said the effectiveness of a people's representative does not lie in how old he is but his ability to connect with the learned group in the area.

Even though the opposition might try to use his advanced age as an issue in the state election, he believed voters in Satok would not readily be influenced.

"Young, old, no problem...we (in BN) have a lot of young blood, who are professionals and they are assisting me.

"Actually, the success of Satok is because of the educated group behind me; they give me a lot of input," he said.

Abang Johari is being challenged by Sarawak PKR Youth deputy chief Mohammad Salleh Shawkatali, 35, in this election, his eighth.

Satok has 13,550 Melayu-Melanau voters. In the 2011 state election, he secured the seat with a majority of 2,800 votes over PKR's Ahmad Nazib Johari.