BN changes stance on Taib’s position

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 — Talk of Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdu Taib Mahmud retiring from the political scene has all but disappeared, if the recent visit to the state by Datuk Seri Najib Razak is anything to go by.

The Singapore Straits Times said in a report today that the prime minister never raised the topic during his three-day visit to Sarawak last week.

Instead, he indicated that the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) will work closely with the Sarawak state government under Taib’s leadership to “ensure a bright future”.

The daily said it was in March 2011 and with a month to go before the Sarawak state election, when Najib was seen to be edging long-time Chief Minister Taib(picture) towards the exit.

Najib had then said the two had an “understanding” about when Taib — the target of massive corruption allegations from the opposition — would step down.

The prime minister assured the public they knew when to make the change and that the man who led Sarawak for 30 years was “ready”.

Fast forward two years, however, and all that retirement talk has disappeared, said the ST.

“The transformation (of the state), with the support of Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud will bring big changes to Sarawak,” Najib was quoted as saying by local media last Thursday, after a closed-door meeting with state BN leaders.

Taib, 76, reciprocated, calling on Sarawak voters to give the BN under Najib “the highest mandate” to show their appreciation for the government’s rural development programmes.

The ST said public unhappiness with Taib helped the opposition double its number of seats at the 2011 Sarawak state elections to 16, out of a total of 71 contested.

The Singapore daily said although Taib will be an obvious target again at the upcoming general election, analysts say the about-turn from Najib shows that Taib is too powerful — and too important for the BN — to be moved.

“Taib has been the chief minister for 30 years. He controls the running of the state and loyalties of many politicians,” the ST quoted political analyst Jeniri Amir from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak as saying. “If he doesn’t give Najib support, the BN will be gone.”

That reputation was affirmed at the state election, when Taib’s Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu won all 35 seats it contested, or almost half of what was up for grabs.

But sticking with Taib is not without drawbacks. It is likely to solidify urban and Chinese voter unhappiness towards the BN, where most seats were lost in 2011.

They also questioned why Sarawak is still one of Malaysia’s poorest states despite its wealth of natural resources.

The opposition is also likely to bring up revelations made last year about the wealth of Taib’s family, during divorce proceedings involving his son Mahmud Abu Bekir, said the Singapore daily.

The opposition now holds only two parliamentary seats in Sarawak but that is likely to increase, Jeniri was quoted as saying. But he believes Taib will also be able to deliver to the BN at least 24 out of the 31 seats in the state.

“When you consider the current political landscape, that’s a great result,” he said.