KUALA LUMPUR: In an attempt to make greater inroads into Sarawak, the DAP has launched an outreach project aimed at uplifting the livelihood of the people in the state’s rural areas, besides raising their political awareness.

Yesterday, the party launched the Impian Sarawak campaign in an attempt to make an impact in Sarawak in the state election, scheduled for 2015, and eventually take over Putrajaya in the 14th general election, according to DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

He said this year is a momentous year for Sabah and Sarawak, being the 50th anniversary of the formation of Malaysia.

He said the DAP wants to show that Pakatan Rakyat can provide better governance to the people of Sarawak by using the state’s resources for the benefit of the people.

“We want to show that we can make a difference,” he told reporters at the DAP headquarters yesterday.

However, when asked whether the DAP would contest in more Dayak-majority seats in rural Sarawak in the 2015 state election, Lim said: “We will deal with it later.”

In the 2011 state election, DAP won 13 state seats, mainly in the Chinese-majority urban areas.

Lim said the Impian Sarawak campaign is aimed at providing basic infrastructure, such as clean water, electricity and roads, to rural Sarawakians.

The party hopes to carry out five projects in different villages every month, with each project requiring funds of between RM20,000 and RM50,000.

The party will organise fundraising dinners to raise money for the projects, and is also seeking volunteers to help out.

The first project involves the construction of a gravity feed water system at Kampung Sait, which is a 40-minute drive or a two-hour walk, from Kuching.

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This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on September 12, 2013.