FREE DAY 7 What's happening in the state election campaigns around Sarawak today? Quotable quotes, planned events and unplanned incidents as they take place.

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4.41am: Whistleblower website Sarawak Report ’s Clare Rewcastle ( right ) announces it has set up an alternative site since the original site came under cyberattack two days ago.

“Having sustained three days of unremitting cyber-attacks, we are accepting that Sarawak Report will have to go on the run for the next few days until the election,” writes Rewcastle in an email from her UK base.

"Chances are that we will not last long at any given address... we have some great stories, which clearly our persecutors would rather we did not get out.... so please do follow us!” she says.

The website has moved to http://www1.sarawakreport.org/ and is expected to change again should the spybots track it down.

“Let's see if we can't beat our previous figures for hits, despite the harassment!” says Rewcastle.

9.40am: Sibu Two election billboards of Bukit Assek independent candidate Hii Tiong Huat are found scattered on a road divider.

Hii, who is a local social activist, had put his bank account number on the billboard, urging members of the public to donate money to his election campaign.

Unemployed at present, he once sold jade jewellery for a living, and had borrowed money to pay the RM8,000 deposit to contest in this election.

Bukit Assek sees a three-cornered fight among Hii, BN-SUPP’s Chieng Buong Toon and DAP’s Wong Ho Leng.

11.15am: Kuching DAP launches its fifth pamphlet and first batch of election campaign materials against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

The pamphlet reads, “Najib, I'm sorry, I really can't afford it... 30 years housing loan, 7 years car loan, 20 years of education expenses for my children, rising petrol prices and cost of living. But my income has not increased...

"Sorry, Najib, I can't vote for you."

State DAP secretary Chong Chieng Jen says under BN’s 48-year rule in Sarawak, there may have been some development, but most of the young would have accumulated any of the loan problems listed in the pamphlet.

While admitting that this was the first pamphlet attacking Najib, Chong denied DAP has switched it attack target from Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud to the prime minister.

"This is an economic issue that affects most of the rakyat," he adds.

11.40am: Still in Kuching, DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua again calls on supporters and party workers to be vigilant following the big crowd turnout at the 1Malaysia concert last night.

"BN is doing its very best to win back all the seats in Kuching and the mood can easily swing back to BN...

"They are using the exact same success tactics in the peninsula, where they use lucky draws, dinners and goodies to attract crowds," says Pua, who is leading the party campaign team in Kuching.

Some 3,000 people attended BN's 1Malaysia concert last night to catch performances by local and international singers, including Taiwanese pop group Y2J and Rain Lim, a Kuching local.

Najib and Taib Mahmud were at the event as well.

10am: Sri Aman DAP candidate for Simanggang Leon Donald, together with Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi and Klang MP Charles Santiago, holds a press conference at Sri Aman hospital challenging Prime Minister Najib to show concrete proof that the construction of the new hospital, announced yesterday, was not just another “bounced cheque”.

Ooi urges Najib and Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai to answer a few questions after Najib announces the 'fast-forwarding' of the construction of the new hospital from 2013 to 2011.

His questions:

1. Has the government granted the construction contract to Taib Mahmud's cronies, for example Titanium, Naim Cendera and Cahaya Mata Sarawak?

2. Where will be the new hospital be sited? Why was the previous plot earmarked by the government on swamp land? Was there any element of corruption or abuse here?

3. Has the Public Works Department (JKR) been informed of the project and its blueprint submitted to the Finance Ministry? Has the cabinet approved the move, since the cabinet meeting this week was postponed to allow ministers to go to Sarawak to campaign?

4. State Minister of Environment and Public Health Wong Soon Koh had previously announced that the federal government agreed to allocate RM228 million for the new hospital but why has the budget shrunk to RM200 million when announced by both Liow and Najib yesterday? Where has the RM28 million gone?

"If the government fails to answer all these questions before Apr 16, voters should not give their ballots to BN," said Ooi.   

Najib made the announcement at a whirlwind visit to the dilapidated hospital that the opposition earlier during their campaign had highlighted had not been upgraded since it was set up during colonial times.

11.40am: Kuching Taib Mahmud is spotted having an intense discussion with an unidentified, casually dressed man at the plush Pullman Hotel, over a printed spreadsheet.

His many bodyguards stop Malaysiakini reporters from approaching Taib or taking photographs.

"This is a private discussion," said one of the bodyguards.

After the 10-minute meeting with the man, Taib is seen running to the toilet, with his bodyguards following closely. 

1pm: Sibu Bukit Assek independent candidate Hii Tiong Huat puts up a banner at Jalan Pedada, near Sibu town, urging constituents to support him to save his deposit.

"Vote for Tiong Huat, to save my deposit", reads the banner.

The banner has caused passing vehicles to slow down for drivers to get a closer look.

Hii had earlier said he had to borrow money to foot the RM8,000 deposit for election candidates. 

12.30pm: Sibu In a press conference in Sibu, Sarawak DAP chief Wong Ho Leng reiterates the party’s support for his PKR peer Baru Bian as "chief minister-designate".

"My answer is short and concise," he said.

"You have to see that we have agreed, if Pakatan wins. Unless (Baru) doesn't win in Ba'Kelalan, and the other Iban areas are won by PKR.

"Even if we win all 15 seats, we still require another 21 wins from the other side - so if PKR wins 15 seats and PAS wins six, we will cross the bridge," Wong told reporters.

2.05pm: MEO-Net, a collection of election-monitoring NGOs, today blasted the authorities for placing various obstacles on the freedom to campaign in Sarawak.

“Firstly, longhouses are stopping Opposition parties from campaigning - cutting off the info-poor residents from getting information from all sides, which is a necessary condition to make a free and informed choice,” said its representative BK Ong.

“ Tuai rumah, who have just enjoyed a doubling of their government provided monthly allowance (from RM450 to RM800) from February this year, are instigated by ruling politicians to keep out opposition campaigners, thus seriously compromising the freedom of choice of  voters living in the rural communities.”

Ong also slammed the police for stopping opposition ceramah on the pretext of lacking permits, saying the police were the ones who refused to issue them.

He also said the move to require the approval of longhouse headmen before a campaign visit could be made was unprecedented.

“This is unprecedented as there has been, up to now, no requirement or police permit to organise events in longhouses where the ruai (the open frontyard of a longhouse) is a common shared space among the inhabitants.”

MEO-Net, representing Komas, Niei, Mew, Sew, Safrel and

Malvu, added that preventing the press from reporting on key issues such as the A Kitab row or from questioning the CM were against free and fair elections.

It has asked to meet with the EC to thrash out these issues.

4.58pm: Bernama reports the police responding to complaints about their refusal to issue permits for ceramah , saying they have to date issued 1,000 such permits.

Sarawak Police Commissioner Mohmad Salleh says, “Of the total, 250 permits were issued within the last 24 hours.”

"The police will not compromise on any activities that have seditious or provocative elements.

"Our country has a plural society, so issues that can cause dissatisfaction must be given proper attention to ensure harmony and mutual respect between the races," he said.

5.23pm: Seputeh MP Teresa Kok slams Transport Minister Kong Cho Ha for telling Sarawakian Chinese to be content and grateful with the way BN treats the community, saying they were better off than their peninsular counterparts.

“Kong’s statement is most disappointing and ignorant for a minister and MCA leader,” said Kok in a statement.

She argued that BN in Sarawak was merely allowing what was already in the federal constitution with regards to religious freedom.

“To have any credibility as an MCA leader at all, Kong should soundly condemn the racial discrimination and suppression of freedom of religion caused by BN in Peninsula Malaysia, instead of using it to warn the Chinese in Sarawak of ingratitude.”

"Furthermore, Kong should be aware that the people of Sarawak enjoy far better racial relations than West Malaysia, due to the absence of the race-based political parties that ‘divide and conquer’ Peninsula Malaysia such as Umno, MCA and MIC thus far.

“Secondly, Kong’s statement also reveals his mentality that ethnic Chinese Malaysians are inferior to other races. It is this kind of inferiority complex that makes MCA permanently subservient to Umno within the BN framework.

“They are so spineless that they hardly raised a peep when Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Nazri Aziz openly denigrated MCA as an abused wife that refuses to leave an abusive husband,” said the DAP parliamentarian.

She said Kong statement showed that he had no confidence in BN Sarawak component parties’ ability to represent the interests of the Chinese community.

6.30pm: Kanowit PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim begins his evening ceramah after solat maghrib at Masjid Kanowit in the parliamentary constituency southeast of Sibu, starting with the Main Bazar Kanowit (DUN Macan and Ngemah) at 8.30pm before moving to Kampong Datu Lama (DUN Nangka) and ending at Pakatan’s ceramah at King Nguong Café, Jalan Mantis, Upper Lanang at 10.30pm.

7.30pm: Sibu - SUPP organises six dinners and a ceramah tonight, at which a thousand people are expected to be feted to a free dinner and lucky draws.

At a dinner held at Bawang Assan restaurant, SUPP's Sibu town centre service centre women chairperson Betty Wong describes DAP, PKR and PAS as 'ghosts and evils' that should be chased out from Sibu.

The dinner has attracted some 800 people from nearby semi-rural areas.

"Sarawak should be ruled by local parties", says Wong.

The dinner is held in support of incumbent Bawang Assan representative Wong Soon Koh.

Intermittenly, there are loud shouts of "Soon Koh,jia-you (Keep it up!)".

Approximately 100 metres away, DAP is organise a ceramah along Maaw Road, where Bukit Assek candidate Wong Ho Leng is delivering a speech.

8pm: Kuching About 400 people are packed into the Tian Hou Gong

temple in Bintawa, Kuching for a BN event.

They are in for a special treat tonight - BBQ chicken wings and a

speech by MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek.

8pm: Sri Aman Some 500 residents of Sri Aman, mostly Chinese, are treated to a free dinner at Sri Aman mini stadium, organised by the development and security committee of Kampung Cina Simanggang.

The dinner titled ‘Gathering with the Simanggang people’ is attended by Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Peter Chin Fah Kui and BN candidate for Simanggang Francis Harden Hollis.

The mini stadium is decorated with BN flags. A local male Iban singer kicks off the dinner with a famous local song ‘Benak’.

Leaflets slamming PAS for its Islamic state agenda are distributed at the dinner, a strategy often used by the BN in semi-rural Chinese area.

It says PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has repeatedly announced that PAS would establish an Islamic state should it takes over Putrajaya. It also condemns DAP for misleading the Chinese community that Islamic state is a non-issue.

Simanggang is a state seat under the parliamentary constituency of Sri Aman. It will see a straight fight between the three-term assemblyperson Harden Hollis from SUPP and DAP's debuntante Leon Donald.

8.30pm: Sibu  Wong Soon Koh arrives at the SUPP dinner, with the crowd shouting in support and chanting "1 Malaysia".

The over excited emcee keeps on praising the BN government as "God of Righteousness", the only government that can serve the people.

"I'm sure that what I said tonight won't come out in the newspapers tomorrow, you all should buy those papers that report the opposition news," says Teng.

"We should let BN and the BN media know the power of the rakyat."

8.30pm: Sibu Wong Soon Koh arrives at the SUPP dinner, with the crowd shouting in support and chanting "1 Malaysia".

The over excited emcee keeps on praising the BN government as "God of Righteousness", the only government that can serve the people.

8.40pm:  Kuching

Selangor speaker Teng Chang Khim tells an about 2,000 strong crowd that Malaysiakini , the independent web portal, has been cyber-attacked four days to polling day.

He urges the people to boycott BN and BN media as a form of protest.

"I'm sure that what I said tonight won't come out in the newspapers tomorrow, you all should buy those papers that report the opposition news," says Teng.

"We should let BN and the BN media know the power of the rakyat."

8.30pm: Under fire for his long tenure, Taib Mahmud goes on a media blitz with BN linked TV channels TV3 , NTV7 , 8TV and TV9 as well as private stations Astro Awani and AEC .

In an interview, edited down to 10 minutes and aired over all the channels' daily news programmes, he defends his decision to stay on saying he wanted to lay down groundwork for his successor.

Hinting that he has already someone in mind, Taib says that the candidates fielded for the state election were chosen as they are expected to be able to work well with the chosen successor, who remains unnamed.

He also implies that he will be around as an advisor even after stepping down.

"I don't want to step down when I'm decrepit (dah bertongkat) as then I cannot assure my successor assistance to maintain the momentum of development, sort out party issues and build a team that can work together," he said.

8.30pm:

Miri DAP’s ceramah at Boulevard Commercial Centre has already attracted an around 2,000 strong crowd, majority of whom are Chinese, to listen to the speeches of its leaders.

The speakers include DAP vice chairperson M Kula, state chief Wong Ho Leng, national youth chief Anthony Loke and the candidates.

8.30pm: Sri Aman At a BN dinner, two leaders from Gerakan - Padang Serai division chief Tang Hiang Lye and youth organising bureau chief Rich Too, turn the dinner into a Penang-bashing event.

Tang slams Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for giving unfair treatment to the Chinese in Penang. He claims that Lim allocated RM8 million for Chinese schools but RM14 million for the Malay community.

"The ratio is 30 and 70 despite the fact that Malays only make up 38 percent of the Penang population. This is not fair," he says.

He also condemns the Penang government for giving financial aide to Al-Quran class.

"Why do Buddhists and Christians not enjoy such treatment?"

Tang also defends Gerakan president Koh Tsu Konn as a bold leader who dared to remove Bukit Bendera Umno chief Ahmad Ismail as a councillor. He says Ahmad was a corrupt leader who had obtained a government project but did not deliver it, and demanded Koh to approve two land plots to him before the 2008 general election.

Meanwhile Rich Too claims that Penang is not a suitable city to live in under the leadership of Lim.

"I challenge those who said Penang is good to move there, find a house and a job, and stay for three years," he says, adding that many Penangites were forced to move to other states due to insufficient job opportunities and soaring property prices.

He says that he almost cried when he reached Sarawak because he was touched seeing the development of Sarawak.

"Previously I thought Sarawakians were still living on the trees."

However, the audience response is lukewarm through out their speech.

8.45pm: Kuching Chua Soi Lek accuses DAP of being a party that pits the Chinese against one another. He said that by contesting only 15 out of 71 seats, DAP was on a mission to reduce Chinese representation in the state government.

He also claimed that DAP's purpose was to prop up PAS, citing the example of how DAP had helped install a menteri besar from PAS in Perak, despite PAS being a minority party in the then state government.

"If I had 18 seats (the majority) I would tell PAS 'Lim Pek is the boss'," he said.

8.55pm: Sibu   At a PKR ceramah in Sibu, the crowd of roughly 100 led by party Sibu division leader Simon Tiong observed a 10-second silence for the helicopter pilot who died yesterday.

Captain Sahaimi Ghazali was killed when his helicopter tipped over after ferrying Muhyiddin’s entourage yesterday and was about to return to base.

  9.30pm: Sri Aman Peter Chin Fah Kui from SUPP tries his best to gain the sympathy of the audience of some 500 at the BN dinner at the mini stadium.

"Are we not serving the people? Should we be kicked out for DAP to take over our position?

"Is it true that the leaders in SUPP should be replaced because we have not performed?" he asks softly.

He warns that if SUPP suffers a setback in this election, the party could end up as another Gerakan in Penang.

"DAP is not saying we are not serving the people. They only have one issue - Pek Moh. If they hate him, why don't they challenge him and attack his party but contest in all seats contested by SUPP?"

He repeats the notion that if SUPP is defeated by DAP in all 15 seats, Taib will still remain in power due to the strong support by native voters and Chinese would lose their representation in the government.

"How can DAP serve you if they cannot be the government? What agency can they use to serve?" He asks, citing the example of some Chinese associations in opposition's constituency which requested allocations from him because the opposition representative did not have such resources.

Meanwhile SUPP candidate for Simanggang Francis Harden lists out the local development projects brought by BN including a new fire station, an 18km-tarred road at Batu Lintang and a panoramic garden along the river.

On Najib's announcement yesterday to build a new hospital in Sri Aman, Francis claims that it is his hard work that has paid off. He had met with the health minister and other officials at all levels to secure the project.

"The opposition said I lied, so I was forced to bring the prime minister here," he says with a big smile.

9.40pm

PKR de facto leader and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim says that the attacks on websites such as Sarawak Report and Malaysiakini shows that BN is running scared.

" Malaysiakini and Sarawak Report have been attacked and shut down. All are jammed already.

"This is the style of (deposed Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak). Watch out, the regime is going Mubarak-style now."

In the several weeks of intense protest leading up to Mubarak's resignation, the government had shut down "anti-establishment" websites and cut off the internet.

10pm: Senadin, Miri

The PKR ceramah here has attracted a multiracial crowd of around 400 people.

The speakers include PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, Balik Pulau MP Yusmadi Yusoff, and Senadin PKR candidate Micheal Teo.

One DAP Sabah leader asks the crowd, "who is the biggest vacuum cleaner in Sarawak?" The crowds shouted "Taib Mahmud!"

10pm Sarikei:

DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang tweets that they have managed to collect RM4300 in donations from those who attended the rally there.

10pm:Sibu

DAP also serves free food for some 600 voters attending the ceramah at a coffee shop along Jalan Maaw. But some of the attendees seems to pay more attention on food than the speakers!

10.05pm Sibu in a PKR ceramah here, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim receives 100 party membership forms from the folk of Teku.

"We are supporting PKR this time because BN stole our native customary land," says one of the newly-minted members in the ceramah.

10.20pm: Kuching Kota Sentosa

DAP Serdang parliamentarian Teo Nie Ching says if the Rakyat want to oust Taib Mahmud, they should kick out SUPP first.

She describes SUPP as the bodyguard to Taib.

"SUPP should take the credit as Pek Moh's (white hair, referring to Taib) bodyguard for helping him to control the world," she says, drawing laughter from the 2000 strong crowd.

She adds that Taib is nervous after seeing the strong turnout in opposition ceramah since the campaign kicked off.

"But, this is not enough, we must make sure he continue feeling pressure, so that Pek Moh will become Boh Moh (no hair)."

10.30: Miri Speaking to around 400 people, PKR deputy president Azmin Ali urges the voters to reject Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud who has "stolen" their lands and timber.

"We invite you all to go for change, not to create trouble. Sarawak is a rich state, this is not Bangladesh or Zimbabwe.

"But the people are poor.Taib Mahmud is rich, but the people are poor."

10.30pm Sibu PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim arrives at the DAP ceramah in a Chinese restaurant at Jalan Lanang, He is greeted by 700 strong crowd.

He criticises PM Najib Abdul Razak. "He is so free that he can only think of sex. Najib has nothing else to do, only sex...sex...sex. Acts as though I have no shame, regardless of my children and Azizah", he says.

He is referring to his second sodomy case and the recent sex tape controversy.

The crowd applauds and responds with laughter. 

DAP Bawang Assan Alice Lau says that the price for a vote in the Bawang Assan constituency continues to rise.

"Yesterday, each vote cost about RM300, but the price has increased to RM500 today", she discloses.

Meanwhile, Lim Kit Siang jeers at SUPP, for asking MCA and Gerakan leaders who hailed from peninsular to help in campaigning, indicating SUPP couldn't solve their problems themselves. 

10.51pm DAP's Zairil Khir Johari tweets that Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong too has joined the bandwagon and belted out a song. He is at a ceramah in Bintulu.