Taib, not Adenan, the real winner in Sarawak polls, says analyst

As far as political commentator Phoon Wing Keong is concerned, the real winner of the May 7 Sarawak state election is Governor Abdul Taib Mahmud and no one else.

This is despite Chief Minister Adenan Satem being the face of the Sarawak BN campaign, with his Elvis Presley song-crooning persona credited with helping to soothe the voters to BN's wiles.

"We don't (suddenly) see a man's potential only when he turns 72. Did he hide away (before this) in the past?" asked Phoon, questioning the sudden popularity of Adenan, fondly called 'Tok Nan' by Sarawakians.

"The real winner is not Adenan, for he is merely a proxy (for Taib)," opined the analyst at a forum on the Sarawak election on Tuesday night.

Phoon argued that while Adenan is the face of Sarawak BN, the real power still lies in the hands of the governor, popularly called "Pek Moh", which is Hokkien for white hair, an allusion to the silver-haired Taib.

"The real winner is Taib, the voters have chosen the white haired one. That is a return to Taib's system," he said.

As others have observed before Phoon, while Adenan may seem to be the one holding the official reins of power, most of the wealth of the state is still controlled by big corporations that are either closely-linked to the Taib family or are directly owned by them.

It has been noted before that Adenan, who did not really shine in his earlier years in politics, was only there to oversee matters for Taib, who had to resign after public outcries over his alleged corruption threatened to turn the people against the BN.

Adenan seemed to have performed his role well, or perhaps has risen to the challenge put before him, tapping into energies and potential he never before displayed.

Taib kept Umno out

In any case, with big money being essential for politics in the Land of the Hornbills, it is not a big jump to see that the hand that holds the ringgit can still rock the cradle, so to speak. And many contend that Taib is still the man in charge, with Adenan just being the main figurehead.

However, Phoon argued that despite the mass criticism rained on Taib for the alleged corruption and supposed siphoning of state wealth during his 33-year long rein, the people still recognise the fact that he kept Umno out of the Borneo state.

Unlike in Sabah, where Umno has sprouted roots and now heads the ruling coalition, Sarawak BN's mainstay is still the Borneo-based PBB, which is the party once helmed by Taib and is now headed by Adenan.

Ironically though, Phoon noted that the state BN's overwhelming victory under Adenan's popular lead, even if puppeted through proxy by Taib, would only serve to bolster the 'Malaya-based' Umno and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak in power nationally.

He sardonically added that it will probably only ensure that Najib continue to stay in power for another two years.

"The future is full of changes, not only due to the twin by-elections (in Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar), but on the other financial crisis (involving the PM) as well," explained Phoon.

He labelled Najib as an opportunist who used the Sarawak election to his advantage to secure his own grip on power, but perhaps did not manage to steal the limelight from Adenan, or the ultimate victory from Taib. -Mkini