KUCHING: Those who cover Datuk Seri Najib Razak on a regular basis know that the Prime Minister keeps a hectic schedule which even young journalists find demanding.
However, many were still caught off guard by the sheer number of events and appearances that he has lined up over the next few days.
As campaigning builds up, officials have released Najib's event schedule, and it is apparent that the Barisan Nasional chairman is pulling out all the stops to ensure President of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Tan Sri Adenan Satem gets all the support he needs for his campaign.
This support is not something that materialised recently. Najib has been consistent in his support of Adenan, affectionately known here as Apai Besar (number one leader) Sarawak.
Adenan himself was reported to have said that Najib had visited the state 47 times since he became prime minister in 2009.
Recently, he was reported to have said that Najib's visits exceeded the number of visits made to Sarawak by all the previous prime ministers combined.
“Why? Because Najib loves Sarawak. When he visits, it is not emptyhanded. He brings millions in funds for the state,” Adenan recently said.
The continued support was evident last night. At the launch of the National Transformation Programme (NTP) Annual Report 2015, Najib listed a long list of initiatives which had been embarked on to win over the Land of the Hornbill.
Najib said Sarawak had received the largest allocation from the National Key Result Areas (NKRA) overall budget, under the NTP.
The biggest boon to Sarawak is the toll-free Sarawak Pan Borneo Highway, which will span 1,089 kilometres from Teluk Melano to Lawas and the RM16 billion project paved the way for much more economic opportunities for areas surrounding the expressway.
The initiatives implemented under the programme included the construction of roads, provision of potable water, housing, as well as electricity supply which would benefit more than 1.5 million rural people in Sarawak.
More places in Sarawak now enjoy 24-hour electricity supply.
In the last five years, more than 1,000 longhouses were connected to the grid round the clock and Najib has ordered the Kanowit-Song-Kapit road project to be implemented last year, after finding that Kapit had poor connectivity to other areas.
The RM150 million project would benefit nearly 100,000 locals.
Najib had also introduced a price standardisation programme, subsidising transportation costs to ensure prices remained affordable.
"For example, the price of 10kg of rice, which used to be RM40 in Ba'kalalan Sarawak, is now priced at RM18, thanks to the subsidy," he was reported as saying.
With the long list of intiatives delivered, and his affirmation that he was still firmly behind Adenan's back, Najib has possibly devoted more time and effort for Sarawak than any of his predecessors.
The litmus test now is how the electorate will react to the efforts made by the Barisan Nasional chairman.