Sarawak BN reps urged to stage ‘Ming Court 2′

Increasing dissatisfaction with Chief Minister Taib Mahmud's rule in Sarawak has got a citizens' movement calling for a 'revolt'.

KUCHING: A citizens’ movement here has called all dissatisfied Barisan Nasional elected representatives in the state to stage a revolt against the leadership of Abdul Taib Mahmud by initiating a “Ming Court Two”.

“I am asking those BN representatives – those with some conscience left – to stage Ming Court 2 and oust the corrupt chief minister who remains persistent in holding onto power despite widespread calls for him to step down,” urged Movement For Change, Sarawak (MoCS) leader Francis Paul Siah yesterday.

In that infamous revolt 24 years ago, 28 state assemblypersons out of the then 48-member State Legislative Assembly had gathered at the Ming Court Hotel in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, calling for the removal of Taib as chief minister.

The rebels, including several state ministers and assistant ministers, were led by Tun Abdul Rahman Yakub, Taib’s uncle and predecessor.

However, the March 1987 revolt failed when Taib called for fresh polls which were held the following month.

In the elections, Taib’s camp garnered 28 seats while the rebels only managed to secure 20 seats.

The reason it failed was because the Chinese did not support the revolt.

Calling for a similar ‘revolt’ now, Siah said: “I am aware that many members and supporters of state BN component parties are getting uneasy and uncomfortable with the prolonged tenure of Taib as chief minister.

“One key figure in a state BN party remarked to me over this Chinese New Year that he could not understand why Taib still wants to hold onto power despite the growing opposition against him.

“He said that Taib should have stepped down long ago.”

PBB not united

According to Siah a large cross-section of the Chinese and Dayaks in BN parties like Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) want a change in the state’s leadership.

“PBB is also not as united as it is projected to be. There have been murmurs of discontent in the Bumiputera-based party too.

“The only thing holding them back is their fear, cowardice and self-interests. Taib (as the party president) has a stranglehold on their careers, businesses and livelihood,” he said.

“The BN elected representatives can do something as a unified group. They can stage an internal revolt, learning from the lessons of the failed Ming Court coup in 1987,” Siah said. - FMT