Taib expected to step down as Sarawak chief minister this month, say reports
Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah also hinted that the announcement would be made at the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) meeting in Kuching this weekend. (Taib is PBB president.)
“There must be something important the chief minister wants to relay,” he was quoted as saying.
Taib, 78, had indicated during the 2011 state elections that this may be his last term. The mandate of the state government ends in 2016.
Karim said as much as he would like Taib to carry on, “age is catching up”.
Karim, however, would not comment on Taib's successor.
Malay-language daily Berita Harian reported today that some of the names bandied about to replace Taib include Minister of Special Functions Tan Sri Adenan Satem, 69; Tourism Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Openg, 64; Minister of Resource Planning and Environment Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, 58.
Former federal government minister Datuk Effendi Norwawi, 66, is another potential candidate.
Karim was adamant the transition of power would be smooth and “there will be no drastic changes (in policies)”.
Taib, the state's fourth chief minister, is the longest serving chief minister in the country.
The 78-year-old, who assumed office 33 years ago on March 26, 1981, is a controversial figure and often accused of having enriched his family and relatives by awarding them lucrative state contracts.
According to a series of leaked United States embassy cables published by WikiLeaks in August 2011, the US described him in one of the cables as "highly corrupt" and “Taib with his relatives were widely thought to have extracted a percentage from most major commercial contracts – including those for logging – awarded in the state (Sarawak)".
source : mi
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