Taib not resigning, says he has mandate to continue

Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud said he had every right to reject the shameless and unethical campaign by the DAP that he should resign as chief minister.

Taib, who is also state BN chairperson and Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) president, said this was because the Sarawak government under his leadership obtained a clear mandate to govern until the next state election due in 2016.

“I am grateful for the support of the ‘rakyat’ (people) and will continue to serve them based on the mandate they had given to me and my government in 2011 (state election).”

Taib, who is also Sarawak finance minister as well as resource planning and environment minister, said this in his winding-up speech at the state assembly sitting in Kuching yesterday.

He said the DAP did not have the mandate and blessings from the people to make such a call, and in the true spirit of democracy should realise that its attempt at painting a bad picture of the state government and its leadership had been unconvincing and largely ignored by the voters.

Taib said the outcome of the 2011 state election was that Sarawak BN won not only the popular votes but more than two-thirds majority, while his party (PBB) had recorded 100 percent success in the seats it contested.

“The state election must have been free and fair because there was not a single election petition filed to challenge any of the results for the seats won by the state BN,” he said.

Taib said he would respect and honour the principle of his accountability to the august House and the people of Sarawak, who had repeatedly given him the mandate to lead the state government since 1981.

- Bernama