Could PBB senior vice-president Awang Tengah Ali Hassan be the choice of Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud when he retires at the end of this month, considering Taib's parting call for “Sarawak must be led by Sarawakians” as an indication?
Political observers believe Awang Tengah fits the bill as he is known to be anti-Umno, has a strong personality and has been groomed by Taib to handle Sarawak's multi-billion ringgit ministries, such as the Public Utilities Ministry, the Industrial Development Ministry and the Resource Planning and Environment Ministry.
After Taib, Awang Tengah ( left ) is touted as the most powerful minister in the state.
The Ministry of Industrial Development, which has investments in the Sarawak Corridor of Renewal Energy (SCORE) as its main focus, has attracted more than RM24 billion worth of investments, all said to be due to the efforts of Awang Tengah. SCORE is Taib’s pet project.
Awang Tengah also deals with land and forest resources, energy (electricity) and the construction of mega hydro-electric dams which are all under the Ministry of Resource Planning and Environment, the ministry in which he is second minister to Taib.
Given all these clues by Taib, Awang Tengah is said have ‘recruited ‘into his camp a number of important PBB leaders in the likes of Assistant Minister of Resource Planning and Assistant Minister of Bumiputera Entrepreneur Development Naroden Majais, Assistant Minister of Environment and Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’ Office (Promotion of Technical Education) Len Talif Salleh and Assistant Minister of Rural Development and Assistant Minister of Industrial Development (Investment and Promotion) Julaihi Narawi.
Deputy post for James Masing?
It is understood that Awang Tengah has had talks with Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president James Masing, who is also land development minister, seeking his support to be the next chief minister and also promised Masing the post of deputy chief minister.
PRS, which is a rural-based party, is the second largest party in Sarawak after PBB and it has eight state assemblypersons and six MPs.
The next pssoible candidate for the Sarawak chief minister's post is PBB deputy president Abang Johari Openg ( right ), who is also state housing and tourism minister.
Putrajaya is known to have expressed support for him to be appointed as the next chief minister, because federal leaders think that they can work with him.
However, Putrajaya’s preference for Abang Johari could also put him out of the race as most Sarawakians do not want Umno’s brand of politics and religious and racial extremism to filter into their state.
“Most Sarawakians are dreadful to think of what will happen to Sarawak’s religious tolerance and racial harmony if Umno gains a foothold here. Look at what has happened to Sabah, where everything has to be decided by Umno,” said an observer.
Even Sarawak DAP chief Chong Chieng Jen has demanded to know whether it was true that Abang Johari wants to bring Umno to Sarawak if he ever beccomes the chief minister of Sarawak.
“Abang Johari must make his stand clear, as to whether he wants Umno to come to Sarawak or not,” said Chong, the MP for Bandar Kuching, recently.
Until today, Abang Johari has not responded.
Then, what about Adenan?
PBB information chief Adenan Satem, who is state special functions minister and whose current relationship with Taib is described as “on and off”, appeared to be Taib's choice to suceed him as chief minister back in 2006.
That was when Adenan, after eight years in the political doldrums, was picked as candidate for the Tanjung Datu state seat that year.
He was then given the post of special adviser to the chief minister, with the status of a state minister.
Adenan ( right ), a lawyer and Taib’s former brother-in-law, went on to incur Taib's wrath after he resigned as federal natural resources minister in 2008 and withdrew from active politics.
In the 2006 state election, he was picked by Taib to contest the Tanjung Datu constituency and in the 2011 state election, Adenan was asked to defend his seat.
In the cabinet reshuffle that followed after this last Sarawak state election, Adenan was appointed special functions minister and his return to the state cabinet prompted speculation that he is also in line to replace Taib as chief minister.
However, Adenan, aged 70, is not that healthy, after undergoing a heart operation. He may not be able to withstand the pressures and rigours of the responsibilities demanded of the chief minister, especially in a state such as Sarawak.
Meanwhile, the Iban community, which forms the largest ethnic group in Sarawak, wants Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu anak Numpang to be appointed as the next chief minister.
According to postings in Facebook sites and blogs, the Iban community wants Jabu ( left ) because he is the most competent, being the most senior minister in the state cabinet and having held the post of deputy chief minister for more than 30 years, both under Taib and under Taib's uncle and former chief minister Abdul Rahman Yakub.
The Iban are also demanding to know why Jabu is being sidelined.
Is he not good enough to take over the leadership, even after he has learnt all the tricks and trade from the chief minister himself, some community leaders have asked.
The last Iban to hold the chief minister's post in Sarawak was Penghulu Tawi Sli - 44 years ago.