Embattled Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud said that he will step down after the Sarawak state election which he has to call by July this year.

Taib, who this year celebrates his 30th anniversary in power, said that he has to ensure BN’s victory in the coming election as well as an orderly leadership transition before stepping down as chief minister.

NONE This is the third time that Taib has publicly stated that he wanted  to step down as chief minister - the first in Mukah and second in Betong - both at the Jiwa Senada (One Heart, One Harmony) gatherings early this year.

“The possibility for me to retire is getting nearer,” he said. “I will lead this state elections, but only to make sure that everything will go smoothly.

“I will lead this election so that new blood will come up, but after that, when the people I have groomed can form a team and can work for this country, for the people of various races, and these people will be part of the team, then I will call it a day,” said Taib, who has been chief minister since 1981.

By repeatedly making the quit announcements, Taib hopes to deny the opposition the opportunity to make his three-decade-long rule the major issue during the election campaign.

He, however, did not elaborate on how long he plans to stay on after the Sarawak polls.

Taib’s announcement was made in the presence of Prime Minister Najib Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who are in Kuching as part of their nationwide meet-the-people tour.

It is believed that Najib has been putting pressure on Taib to fix a retirement date, but the chief minister's announcement today fell short of expectation.

There has been growing calls for Taib and his family to be investigated for alleged abuse of power and corruption.

Yesterday, graft watchdog Transparency International-Malaysia, in a rare move, urged the authorities to launch a probe on the chief minister to ensure that the country's corruption index does not plunge further.

Career spanning almost five decades

Taib, who will be 75 in May, has long career in public life spanning almost five decades.

After graduating with a law degree in Australia, he served as a Crown Counsel from 1962 to 1963.

In 1963, he was appointed a member of the State Legislative Council and was named state minister for communications and works. Later he served a short stint as minister for development and forestry.

azlan On several occasions, he was picked by his uncle, then chief minister Abdul Rahman Yakub, as acting chief minister. Clearly, Rahman was planning to groom the young Taib as his successor.

After winning the parliamentary seat for Samarahan constituency in Sarawak, he moved to federal politics and served in a number of ministerial posts.

In 1968, he was appointed federal assistant minister for commerce and industry, and two years later became deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department and after that deputy minister of works, telecommunications and posts.

In 1972, he was named natural resources minister and in September 1974, the general planning and socio-economic research minister.

A year later, he became information and special functions minister in addition to holding the portfolio of general planning and socio-economic research minister.

He was appointed the primary industries minister in January 1978.

After being re-elected as Samarahan parliamentarian for the third time at the 1978 general election, he was named defense minister and later in the 1980 cabinet shuffle, he was given the portfolio of federal territories minister.

In February 1981, Taib resigned from the federal cabinet to contest the Sebandi state by-election in which he was returned unopposed.

He was subsequently named Sarawak's land and mines minister before becoming the chief minister on March 26, 1981 - the post he holds till today.

 

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