Taib still keeps ’em guessing

Insight
By JOCELINE TAN
Sunday February 27, 2011

‘Not the time to talk about political transition’ - Tuan Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah 

Election fever, an ambitious opposition, a stunning new wife and hints about calling it a day: it is a mixed bag of emotions and issues for Tan Sri Taib Mahmud as he prepares to call for state polls.

TAN Sri Taib Mahmud went the extra mile during the recent Chinese New Year festivities.

He always spends at least three days calling on his Chinese political partners in Kuching, Miri and Sibu.

This time, he also stopped at Bintulu where he visited the home of local community leader Barry Yek, whose father is reputed to be Bintulu’s richest man.

Golden couple: Taib has hinted that he is ready to call it a day even though he is

about to seek a fresh political mandate. He has just begun a new life with his young

wife Ragad (right) and the couple is seen here at the SUPP open house in Kuching

on Feb 4.

In Sibu, he called on State Minister Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh, the town’s most powerful political warlord. He also visited Lanang MP Datuk Tiong Thai King, whose billionaire brother Tan Sri Tiong Hiew King is one of the wealthiest men in Malaysia.

But Taib’s Chinese New Year focus has usually been on Miri, the political base of Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan whose daughter is married to Taib’s son.

“He does that every year. It has become tradition for him,” said Dr Chan, president of the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), the second biggest party in the state Barisan Nasional.

Politicians call for action against blog and rogue station

By NG AI FERN 

aifern@thestar.com.my

Friday February 25, 2011

KUCHING: Now that the brains behind Sarawak Report and Radio Free Sarawak have been exposed, politicians from both sides of the divide are calling for action to be taken.

Sarawak United People’s Party youth chief Sii Hua Tong asked the authorities to find out if the blog and radio station had committed any offence.

“There is no need to create something to threaten the nation. No one in our country, whether in Barisan Nasional or the Opposition, will want to see our country in chaos. Whether those responsible are overseas or not, when they interfere in our nation’s interest and threaten national security, it is a serious matter.

“If what they allege is true, they must have evidence,” he told Star Sarawak yesterday.

Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu deputy president Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said that he had been monitoring what was aired and opined that the contents were just rhetoric.

“Well, it is close to election and so you can expect a lot of things to pop up. I don’t like rhetoric,” he said.

Clare Rewcastle Brown, the sister-in-law of former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and Peter John Jaban, an Iban activist known as Papa Orang Utan to his listeners, went public on Wednesday saying they were responsible for the blog and radio station in a British tabloid report.

Karim wants action against brains behind rogue radio, Sarawak Report

February 24, 2011

KUCHING: The people behind Radio Free Sarawak and Sarawak Report have been revealed at last.

They are Clare Rewcastle Brown, the sister-in-law of former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and Peter John Jaban, an Iban activist known as Papa Orang Utan to his listeners.

Rewcastle Brown is also the author of the hard-hitting Sarawak Report — a blog that has been making several allegations against the Chief Minister —that gets 18,000 hits a day. They went public in a report by tabloid London Evening Standard on Wednesday, said an article by The Malaysian Insider.

Taib is a jewel of Sarawak -Karim

February 23, 2011

Abdul Karim says PBB leaders all for him to continue as chief minister

BINTULU: Leaders of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) have always given support to Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud to continue as chief minister and never raised the issue of his retirement or forced him to step down.

Chief political secretary to the chief minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said Taib should be given the opportunity to be chief minister for another term because of his ability in designing and implementing the state’s development.

Abdul Karim, who is also a PBB supreme council member, said Taib was a politician willing to sacrifice his life for the welfare of the people.

“Pehin Sri (Taib) is like a jewel to the people of Sarawak and a leader who is very hard to find,” he said when asked to comment on Taib’s statement that he would retire after the state election at a function in Balingian recently.

Taib will celebrate his 30th anniversary as chief minister in May this year.

Asked about the various allegations brought up by the opposition and online media against Taib and state BN leaders, Abdul Karim said: “There is not much we can do (to solve the problem), just hope that those who are exposed to the Internet would not easily believe what is written.

“This is not the democracy that we should practise and teach the younger generation.”

Sarawakians don’t need Jeffrey to teach them politics — Abdul Karim

February 7, 2011

KUCHING: Sarawakians do not need a Sabahan ‘frog’ in the form of Datuk Jeffrey Kitingan and his United Borneo Front (UBF) to teach them politics.

Chief Political Secretary to the Chief Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said it was very absurd to see a person like Jeffrey coming to Sarawak, trying to advise its people on politics.

“His political career is so tainted by jumping from one party to another that I don’t see him as a good adviser or teacher to Sarawak except to those who wear the same feather as him,” he said when contacted recently.

Karim advised Sarawak National Party (SNAP) to be wary of Jeffrey and also his UBF because from the way he looked at it, the Sabahan was merely looking for a platform in Sarawak to sustain his political agenda. 

He pointed out that Jeffrey is known as a politician who has failed numerous times in his political career in Sabah.

The chief political secretary added it would be sad for the people of Sarawak if an illustrious party like SNAP would fall into Jeffrey’s trick in providing him a political platform for him to boost his political career.

“SNAP has an illustrious history in Sarawak politics and surely its present leaders would not want it tainted with flimsy political characters like Jeffrey,” he added.