KUCHING - All indications point to Minister with Special Functions Tan Sri Adenan Satem as the man whom departing Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud is likely to pick as his successor, but whose tenure may be short.
The mandate given by Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) supreme council last Saturday was only for Taib to pick someone of his choice in the party to act as an interim chief minister, according to sources.
The post will be "permanently" filled only after PBB holds its triennial delegates convention (TDC) which is due in 2016 to elect new office bearers, including party president. Whoever is PBB president will then automatically become the chief minister.
Apart from Adenan, the two potential candidates for the chief ministership are deputy president II Datuk Amar Abang Johari Openg, who is also the Housing Minister, and senior vice-president I Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, the Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment.
Taib is scheduled to seek an audience with the Sarawak Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Abang Barieng this Saturday to formally hand over his resignation letter as Chief Minister and name his successor.
While Taib may prefer Adenan, he is not saying it in the clearest possible term. It is believed the arrangement is for Adenan to lead the state Barisan Nasional into the 11th state election in 2016 or to take charge of the party's TDC, whichever comes first, hence the short tenure.
The current term of the state assembly ends on June 20, 2016, while the party's last TDC was held in October, last year.
According to several PBB supreme council members, there is a possibility that Adenan may not contest the next state election. "He is already 70 and his health conditions may not permit him to stay longer as chief minister," explained a PBB supreme council member who wanted to remain anonymous.
For most of last year, Adenan was on sick leave, absenting from the May state assembly sitting. He only resumed work in November last year.
Why then would Taib want to pick him as the chief minister, even for a short term?
"At the PBB supreme council meeting last Saturday, Taib spoke highly of Adenan and his contributions to the party," said a supreme council member.
"The chief minister appeared to be telling us that he would pick Adenan, not Abang Johari and Awang Tengah. Adenan is only the party information chief so why does Taib prefer him, and not the other two?"
A possible explanation is that Adenan is a compromised candidate, in view of the two powerful factions within PBB - one headed by Abang Johari and the other by Awang Tengah.
It is believed that he wants these two factions kept in check and appointing Adenan as the chief minister may prove to be a good political strategy.
As pointed out by PBB permanent chairman Datuk Amar Asfia Awang Nasar after the recent PBB supreme council meeting, Taib would still "exert some influence" after leaving party politics.
Taib, being a shrewd tactician, does not want to see any power struggle the moment he steps down as party president and chief minister.
He knows very well that soon after he was appointed the chief minister on March 21, 1981, senior PBB leaders then did all kinds of things to undermine his leadership until 1990.
"He wants to see the party intact, and he does want to see party leaders throw things at each other the moment he is no longer around," said the supreme council member.
Another possible reason is that by picking Adenan, Taib is rewarding a "good buddy" for his loyalty and support towards him all these years.
When Taib was facing a rebellion by 28 out of 48 Sarawak State Assemblymen in 1987, it was Adenan who advised Taib to call for a snap election, literally catching the rebels, led by Taib's uncle Tun Abdul Rahman Yaakub, by surprise.
In the election, Taib and his supporters in the State BN won 28 of the 48 seats. A few months later, the number increased with some Opposition assemblymen crossing over to throw their support behind Taib.
As a sign of gratitude, Taib backed Adenan to be the party's deputy president II in the 1998 TDC - the post fell vacant after former Defence Minister Datuk Abang Abu Bakar Mustapha left the party.
However, Taib's support for Adenan was stifled when Abang Johari went for the post and won.
It is believed that Taib never really forgave him for spoiling his plans for Adenan. This could be seen with the appointment of Abang Johari to relatively "minor positions" in the State Cabinet.
Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Tan Sri Dr James Masing, when asked who Taib would pick, said he has a gut feeling that Adenan would be the one.
Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) Baru deputy president Patrick Anek Uren believed that the Taib-Adenan friendship since the 1960s was the key factor in making the choice.
He said Adenan has a unique relationship with Taib, which Abang Johari does not have.
"Adenan's first wife was Taib's sister and Adenan had served as political secretary to Taib, who was then in the federal government," Anek reasoned, adding that Taib and Adenan have shared many things in politics.
"I believe Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu is comfortable with whatever is arranged, he just gives his support," he said. - The Sundaily
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