Memorial dinner to honour Adenan Satem

PBB will also honour governor Abdul Taib Mahmud and former deputy president Alfred Jabu Numpang.

KUCHING: Sarawak’s dominant BN component Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) will hold a memorial dinner to honour the late chief minister, Adenan Satem, here on May 6.

A total of 5,500 PBB members are expected to converge on the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) for the party’s “Jasamu dikenang” programme.

At the dinner, the party will also honour governor Abdul Taib Mahmud and former deputy president Alfred Jabu Numpang for their contributions to the state.

“This is a culture which we have in PBB,” chief minister Abang Johari Openg told reporters after chairing a PBB supreme council meeting at the party’s headquarters here today.

“We have that culture to say ‘thank you’ and express our appreciation for what the leaders have done for PBB and by extension for Sarawak,” Abang Johari said at a press conference.

Present were senior party leaders, including deputy chief minister Douglas Uggah Embas, PBB acting deputy president Awang Tengah Ali Hassan and PBB supreme council member Stephen Rundi.

Adenan died from heart complications on Jan 11, just two weeks shy of his 73rd birthday.

He had led the state for three years after being sworn in on Feb 28, 2014 to the chief minster’s office, taking over from his predecessor, Taib.

“It was shocking that he left us suddenly,” Abang Johari said.

“However, he has done much within a very short period, such as mitigating the effects of the high cost of living.”

Prior to the state election last May, Adenan enacted populist measures such as the reduction of assessment tax and the abolition of land quit rent and tolls in the state.

“His contributions helped us win stylishly in the state election. We united as Team Adenan, where we won 72 seats and took some seats from DAP.

“This meant his policies were very inclusive and people-centric,” Abang Johari said.

Adenan’s political career began in 1976 when he was appointed as legal adviser and committee member of PBB.

He went on to hold a number of state portfolios, including for land development, social development, as well as agriculture and food industries.

In 2010, he became Taib’s special adviser, later succeeding him as the fifth chief minister.

Meanwhile, Abang Johari said Jabu and Taib would also be honoured.

Previously, the party had honoured the late chief minister Abdul Rahman Ya’kub and PBB’s first president Tun Jugah through similar dinners.

Abang Johari said Jabu had contributed to the state’s education and rural development while Taib had “transformed” the rural communities of Sarawak.

“His contributions are too many to be listed,” Abang Johari said, referring to Taib.

Taib had served as chief minister for 33 years, from 1981 to 2014. -FMT