If he does not, another Melanau can be expected to succeed him in Mukah, which is experiencing rapid development.
Mukah is associated with rapid development unlike any in other Sarawak townships. (Blogspot pic)
MUKAH: Great things are coming to the town of Mukah, which in days gone by was mostly known for sago, its most precious commodity at the time.
Today, however, Mukah is associated with rapid development unlike any in other Sarawak townships.
With its easy access to all the key Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) locations, Mukah is destined to be the nerve centre of SCORE and the headquarters of Recoda (Regional Corridor Development Authority), which is leading the way in implementing various development projects.
The town is developing rapidly with a new airport under construction.
There will also be an education hub, which will include a research and development centre to feed the industrial needs for skilled and semi-skilled human capital.
Politically, Mukah has produced two of Sarawak’s chief ministers: Abdul Rahman Yakub and his nephew, Abdul Taib Mahmud.
Together, they controlled Sarawak and its resources for 43 years.
Taib’s state seat was Balingian, one of three state seats within the Mukah parliamentary constituency.
Not surprisingly, all three seats are held by Melanau politicians.
Leo Michael Toyad
Leo Michael Toyad, the incumbent MP for Mukah, has held the seat since 1982, for a whopping seven terms and more than three decades.
Quiet and unassuming, the PBB politician prefers to shun the limelight. During his tenure as a federal minister, however, he did his job and did it well.
He has also served as deputy foreign minister and tourism minister.
Although he is a senior PBB man, Toyad has never been one to fight for party positions and appears unbothered about leaving behind a legacy despite his long political career.
So how did Toyad survive so long in PBB politics?
His party colleagues describe him as a “smart” politician who is fiercely loyal to the boss and takes orders well.
Toyad’s Melanau boss, Taib Mahmud, expects nothing less than absolute loyalty from his fellow Melanaus, and Toyad fits in nicely.
When Taib held the Balingian seat, it was Toyad who attended to the needs of the people in his absence.
In 2008, Toyad converted to Islam and took the name Muhammad Leo Michael Toyad Abdullah.
At 68, it is not known whether Toyad will be defending Mukah for an eighth term come the 14th general election (GE14).
He expressed his desire to retire in 2008 but was persuaded by Taib to defend Mukah.
Should Toyad give way, expect another Melanau to succeed him as it seems clear that none but a Melanau will do as the area’s MP.
The three previous Mukah MPs, Latip Idris, Salleh Jafaruddin and Edwin Esnen Unang, were all Melanaus.
The Mukah seat has been represented in Parliament since 1971.
It currently has a total of 26,477 voters, with the Melanau/Malays forming the majority at 75%. -FMT
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