Decision time has finally dawn upon the citizens of Sarawak.
With less than 24 hours to Polling Day, the election heat in the Land of the Hornbills finally reaches fever pitch.
Whether you are in the rural heartlands or in the bustling cities, by now, surely you have heard of the fierce battle between Barisan Nasional (BN) and its adversaries, component parties of Pakatan Harapan (PH), either on the television, through the newspapers and online portals or via the social media.
Let us not forget about PAS which is ambitious enough to nominate 11 candidates this time around despite not winning any seats back in 2011 when it was part of PH's spiritual predecessor Pakatan Rakyat.
Their confidence in 'giving birth' to the party's first elected member of the Sarawak state assembly stems from a more organised campaign as well as the advantage of not being aligned to BN or Pakatan Harapan.
Nevertheless, it is clear from the start of the campaign, the real battle is between the well-oiled election machinery of BN against the relentless march of PH, mainly DAP and PKR, with their junior member Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) providing more colour to the much storied quest for power in Sarawak.
For BN, it is clear, by getting an increased majority in terms of the number of seats as well as a higher percentage of popular votes, it would have done enough damage to the Opposition.
The damage could have long lasting effects to the point of jeopardising PH's grand plan of capturing Putrajaya in the 14th General Elections in two years time.
Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem has been given the trust to set up the 'Adenan's Team' (or A-Team, as I called it) and so far, things have been going well for the very popular top man of the Sarawak state government.
With two uncontested seats in the bag, Adenan is 68 seats away from achieving his target of 70 seats.
In order to gain enough seats to reach the magic number, the 'A-Team' would have to maintain the 55 seats they have won in the previous elections, win all 11 new seats and wrest four seats from the Opposition.
If this happens, then BN would have gained 85 percent of the state assembly, a figure too high, judging on the current political climate.
However, based from the responses Adenan is getting from all over the state, this feat is not impossible.
With his ratings well over 80 percent among the Sarawakians, it is wise of Adenan to put himself as the face of Sarawak BN.
Whether this high ratings would translate into votes is another matter altogether.
So far, Adenan's calls for greater autonomy and initiatives receives good response from the people in the state and this presents a major headache for the Opposition.
Other than the issue of Opposition leaders being banned from entry into Sarawak, PH is left with almost nothing to coordinate their attack from.
They can spew rhetorics on the issue of Native Customary Rights (NCR) Lands or the oil royalty but the fact of the matter remains, the Adenan administration has initiated steps towards resolving those issues.
This has led the Opposition to train their guns on the much maligned Goods and Services Tax (GST) which is close to the hearts of the people as it involves their wallets.
It worked so far to the point of presenting the 'A-Team' a challenge but how far it would sway the votes all around the state still remains to be seen.
Coupled with the overlapping of six state seats between PKR and DAP, the Opposition has their work cut out for them this time around.
Despite trying their best to improve on their performance from 2011, PH's best bet is to work together and present a united front.
That didn't happen.
Their best bet at putting a dent in BN's armor is to deny them two-thirds majority in this election and it could only be achieved by working together in all the seats, not just in a majority of the seats.
It is clear who will win this battle once the dust settles tomorrow night.
However, what is yet to be certain is how many members of the Opposition will be left standing to face the 'A-Team' in the state assembly for the next five years.
Hafiz Marzukhi
Fri May 06 2016
Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem (pic) has been given the trust to set up 'Adenan's Team' and so far, things have been going well. - File Pic
Kerajaan Madani komited tambah baik infrastruktur di Sabah - PM
Kerajaan Madani akan menoktahkan kesengsaraan yang dialami rakyat terutama di Sabah khususnya dari segi kemiskinan sosioekonomi.
Fokus Minggu Depan: Perang Iran-Israel: Perkembangan seterusnya?
Ikuti kupasan Pengarah Institut Kecemerlangan Pengajian Baitulmaqdis (IEIJS), UUM, Prof. Madya Dr. Aminurraasyid Yatiban mengenai perkembangan perang Israel-Iran yang ketika ini menggegarkan Asia Barat.
Data sekolah di Singapura diceroboh
Kementerian Pendidikan semalam mengesahkan berlaku pelanggaran data di salah satu vendornya mengakibatkan 'akses tidak dibenarkan' bagi nama dan alamat e-mel ibu bapa dan kakitangan lima sekolah rendah dan 122 sekolah menengah.
87 maut, 82 cedera akibat hujan lebat berterusan di Pakistan
Sekurang-kurangnya 87 orang maut dan 82 yang lain cedera dalam insiden dicetuskan hujan di Pakistan sejak minggu lalu ketika hujan lebat terus melanda beberapa bahagian negara itu, kata Pihak Berkuasa Pengurusan Bencana Kebangsaan (NDMA), semalam.
Pertempuran sengit paksa 200 orang lari ke Thailand
Pertempuran bertambah sengit di sempadan timur Myanmar dengan Thailand hari ini, memaksa kira-kira 200 orang awam melarikan diri ketika pemberontak mengusir tentera junta yang bersembunyi di lintasan sempadan jambatan.
Liga Hoki Selangor TNB-QNET kembali dipertandingkan tahun ini
Selepas lima tahun menyepi, Liga Hoki Selangor TNB-QNET (SHL) akan kembali dianjurkan bermula hari ini hingga 2 Jun depan dalam usaha mencungkil bakat baru sukan hoki di tanah air.
Bio-Home lancar stesen pengisian semula eco, yang pertama seumpamanya
Jenama pembersihan rumah mesra alam dari Lam Soon, Bio-Home, melancarkan stesen pengisian semula eco pertama, menandakan langkah penting komitmen dalam menangani isu sisa plastik.
Anwar beri penghormatan terakhir kepada mendiang Joseph Kurup
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim hari ini memberi penghormatan terakhir kepada mendiang Tan Sri Joseph Kurup di Wisma Fook Lu Siew di Kota Kinabalu.
PM Anwar beri penghormatan terakhir kepada mendiang Joseph Kurup
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim hari ini memberi penghormatan terakhir kepada mendiang Tan Sri Joseph Kurup di Wisma Fook Lu Siew.
Penghantar makanan, kanak-kanak dua tahun maut nahas jalan raya
Seorang wanita dan anaknya yang berusia dua tahun maut dalam nahas jalan raya membabitkan dua kenderaan di Kilometer 10.2 Jalan Batu Caves menghala ke Selayang, malam Jumaat.
60 tahun merdeka, nadi juang Tok Nan masih terasa
Katanya, warisan kepimpinan harus diperkasakan agar negeri ini maju, aman dan makmur, serta dikenali masyarakat.
Biasiswa Kursi Tok Nan RM2.4 juta untuk kajian etnik minoriti Sarawak
Kementerian Pelancongan, Kesenian dan Kebudayaan Sarawak memperuntukkan biasiswa Kursi Tok Nan berjumlah RM2.4 juta untuk menjalankan kajian mengenai etnik-etnik minoriti di negeri itu.
Mengenang Tok Nan: "Tuhan nyuruh aku bantu rakyat!"
Tan Sri Adenan Satem pernah diingatkan kerja kuat boleh mendatangkan risiko kesihatan terhadapnya, namun beliau tidak peduli, beliau masih gigih memilih untuk berbakti kepada negeri Sarawak.
Tok Nan terus dirindui ...
Hari ini, genap empat tahun pemergian pemimpin kesayangan Sarawak, Allahyarham Tan Sri Adenan Satem atau lebih mesra dengan panggilan Tok Nan.
Perkhidmatan Feri Triso henti operasi empat tahun lagi - Abang Jo
Dengan kos RM848 juta, jambatan terpanjang di Malaysia dengan jarak 5.2 kilometer itu dijangka siap dalam tempoh empat tahun lagi.
Jangan ubah hanya kerana mahukan perubahan - Masing
Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing mahu rakyat negeri itu untuk terus beri mandat kepada Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) untuk pastikan usaha memacu pembangunan dan ekonomi tidak terhenti.
Hari Sarawak, Hari Malaysia, Hari Kebangsaan
Betulkah Sarawak merdeka pada 22 Julai 1963? Tanggal 22 Julai diisytiharkan sebagai Hari Sarawak dan cuti umum mulai 2016 di sebalik sentimen nasionalisme negeri yang menggelegak ketika itu.
GPS mampu pastikan hak Sarawak kembali terjamin
Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) akan terus memastikan agenda mendapatkan hak negeri itu, seperti mana termaktub di bawah Perjanjian Malaysia 1963
Rindu akan Tok Nan masih tebal biar dua tahun berpergian abadi
Amat jarang dalam sejarah Sarawak, pemergian seorang pemimpin diratapi dan diruntuni. Namun tidak bagi Pehin Sri Adenan Satem, atau Tok Nan, negarawan 72 tahun yang menghembuskan nafas terahirnya.
Kelantangan Tok Nan dirindui
11 Januari 2019 genap 2 tahun pejuang Bumi Kenyalang, Allahyarham Tan Sri Adenan Satem atau lebih mesra digelar Tok Nan bertemu Sang Pencipta.