By Yow Hong Chieh
The Malaysian Insider
February 14, 2011
Feb 14 — Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud will meet with the Sarawak Governor this Friday to seek his consent to dissolve the state assembly, sources say.
A source at Astana Sarawak told The Malaysian Insider the chief minister’s office had called last week to fix a February 18 appointment with Tun Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Abang Barieng for that purpose.
Another source in the state government said district officers have been asked to freeze leave for their staff as of February 19, when the dissolution is expected to be announced.
A February dissolution would lend weight to speculation that Taib will call for state elections in March or April, ahead of the expiry of the state assembly’s term in July.
The Election Commission (EC) is required to hold elections within 60 days of the assembly’s dissolution.
The Malaysian Insider reported yesterday that the Barisan Nasional (BN) has decided not to hold a general election simultaneously with Sarawak as Datuk Seri Najib Razak wants to finish touring the country first.
The prime minister is said to be delaying earlier plans to seek a fresh mandate in the first half of 2011 to allow big-ticket economic projects to gain traction.
Najib said last week that Sarawak BN will hold a convention on March 6, raising the prospect of early state elections.
Also, Taib is due to celebrate his 30th anniversary in power on March 26 and an election victory will cap his career as the state’s longest-serving chief minister.
Umno officials and BN lawmakers told The Malaysian Insider in January that Najib favoured holding elections only after projects like the construction of the city’s mass rapid transit (MRT) and Sungei Besi development kick off.
Taib, who leads Sarawak BN and also its largest party, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu Sarawak (PBB), has kept political observers guessing when state elections will take place.
The 74-year-old veteran intimated last year that he had received inspiration on when to call the election during his pilgrimage to Mecca, but stop short of revealing the date.
“I have the inspiration but I won’t tell you (the date),” he told reporters in November.
Taib, who has served as Sarawak chief minister for the past 29 years, is said to be under pressure from BN partners to step down due to his waning popularity amid abuse-of-power allegations.
The DAP’s victory in Sibu last year on the back of a major vote swing — which some saw as a referendum on Taib — has given BN cause for concern in a state long seen as a “fixed deposit” by the ruling coalition.
The Sarawak BN holds 63 seats in the 71-seat assembly, with 35 held by PBB, 12 by the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), and eight each by Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP).
Of the remaining eight seats, DAP has six and PKR one, while the last is held by an independent.
The EC has announced its readiness to hold the Sarawak polls at any time, with its chairman stating that the commission had “long made preparations” for any eventual dissolution of the assembly.
The BN is expected to keep the state with a comfortable majority although there is concern that the DAP might be able to secure more seats in the urban areas.
A senior DAP leader told The Malaysian Insider that it has heard of a possible dissolution of the state assembly this weekend and has made preparations for snap polls.
“We are as ready as we can be for the state polls,” said the DAP leader, who declined to be named.
The only way PR can win in Sarawak is to build a Liberation Square in Kuching and let the demonstrators chase away the white-haired raja.
The 74-year-old veteran intimated last year that he had received inspiration on when to call the election during his pilgrimage to Mecca, but stop short of revealing the date.
“I have the inspiration but I won’t tell you (the date),” he told reporters in November.
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Who or what gave you the inspiration while in Mecca?
If it’s your bomoh, then you’re a dead meat ‘cos he even can’t defend himself and in the midst of running away.
Thanks 2 his SYT, after his postnuptial day n night conjugal activities, he is vitalised, energised n inspired 2 lead d charge 2 bash PR in d imminent state erection
He learns fr Kerdau ADUN
Would Malaysians welcome mummified ministers?
Just wait and see……..
BN is ready, n d BIG FAT Q is: Is PR READY 4 d next state n federal elections?!
Bouazizi was publicly humiliated when a 45-year-old female municipal official slapped him in the face, spat at him, confiscated his electronic weighing scales, and tossed aside his fruit and vegetable cart; all while her two colleagues assisted her in beating him. It was also stated that she made a slur against his deceased father.
Will a Bouazizi appear to ignite the fury of the Sarawakians?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohamed_Bouazizi
Mubarak’s assets in UK and Switzerland are frozen, and will be repatriated to Egypt in due course. When can we expect part of the 888 billion ringgit sitting outside Malaysia be returned?
///Some defence analysts and a retired admiral have come out in support of the government’s recent purchase of six New Generation Patrol Vessels (NGPVs) costing RM6 billion arguing that these are sophisticated ships and weaponry, thus the price is reasonable.///–Kua Kia Soong, Malaysiakini
It is like telling us that we are stupid to ask since we will not be told of what they bought because the system is national secret, and so there is no way to justify it openly. That is professionally institutionalized licensed to steal if the parliament has no say on the matter.
who is moderating the message? it took so long to appear
Just can’t wait for the campaigning fiesta to start. I wonder how many projects to be announced, how many more to be ‘opened’ and many-many more to be approved ‘dalam masa terdekat’ ….
It’ll be the same vote-buying tactics / tact-tricks being implemented all over again albeit with ‘1Malaysia’ being added to make them more ‘people-friendly’. And the ‘senja’ citizens (though many are just ‘citizenised aliens’ would give BN their undivided vote especially those living in the interiors.
The long-houses would be in a festive mood ready for the YBs to visit (read ‘fix-it’). A few bAb1 would be slaughtered to ‘appease’ the rakyat. A few crates of cheap liquor to provide extra energy to shout ‘hidup YB, hidup BN’.
Such atmosphere would appear come next election. Perhaps PR has some strategies before entering the fiesta?
If Sarawakian love BN, put a ‘cross / X ‘ on PR !!
If we love Taib Mahmud, put a ‘cross / X ‘ on PR !! … could we tell that to the illiterate rural folks?
Que sera sera….whatever will be will be.
To me..it will be the end of him and the likes of him…naturally.
But there are bomohs…transporters…underground caretakers….that will chant surats…delivering goodies…and grave diggers making graves to those that do not toe the line…and vote for him.
Que sera sera does not work.
It needs a another miracle.
Dipoh Bous, you are absolutely right! Make hay while the sun shines, and lead a desperate life for another 4 to 5 years.
KUALA LUMPUR – MALAYSIA’S state-owned energy giant Petronas on Monday said it has discovered new offshore oil and gas reserves in eastern Sarawak state.
///Successful drilling of a well last March and a subsequent appraisal well brought a significant discovery for Petronas with early estimates showing there are 2.6 trillion standard cubic feet of net gas in place, it said.
The firm added that another well was drilled last December and a preliminary evaluation showed around 100 million barrels of oil and 0.2 trillion standard cubic feet of gas.///–http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_634853.html
That is only part of the cost for Sarawak for coming into Malaysia.
Torpedo “BN Sarawak”.
Lets do it. Aim right and let it sink to the bottom of South China Sea.
And the birth of a new Sarawak!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8flrnN4Ei40&feature=player_detailpage#t=10s
Will the fools wake up now?
The nightmare scenario in Putrajaya is that the people of both Sabah and Sarawak would make comparisons with Singapore which left Malaysia in 1965 and Brunei which stayed out of the federation at the 11th hour. Any such comparison would plant the seeds of separatism and eventually result in the two states opting out from Malaysia.
–Joe Fernandez, FreeM’siaToday
Damn so sad morally to witness the conditions of Sarawak state Government Medical treatment and surgery standard are extremely too low and totally unacceptable ……
Yets Its the richest state in Malausia…most corrupted as well ….kayu balak Leadership
..>>let me put out a question test for TanSriTun Taib Madmud and families …if yr children or grandschild rens fall ill …do you dare to bring to government polyclinics ..Doubt very deeply??
I guessed they hv their own private health consultants specialists worldwide flew into thier palaces villas for treatment…Singapore 5stars Mt E hospital .etc
High time not coffee time >>I think Rakyat Sarawak regardless of race langauage and creeds WAKE UP this Time Bomb and understands the peculiarity role of Dictatorship aib Tand MUST overthrow and dismantled it no matter what..life risking
>>See ,look what is his total assets? He squandered so much Billions Ringgits from state coffers unders 30 yrs leaderships ..
Dictatorship should not wished away. And the world is a dynamic place.
Today’s solutions will likely be irrelevant tomorrow as new challenges eclipse the current ones.
national interests of Politics, economy or socio strategies must be rational, flexible and sober-minded if we are to chart a forward course rather than be thrown asunder by the coming Umno BN storms.
And we must never put all our eggs in anyone’s basket.
Indeeds it is imperative that our PR leaders understand the lessons of the past. Fantasies are no match for reality..Vote PR coming state election
Cheers
PR should show video recordings of Singapore and Brunei during ceramahs in Sarawak. Ask the audience this question— “You have been merdeka-ed for 47 years. Singaporeans and Bruneians have only been merdeka-ed for 45 years. But why are earning 50 times less than what they are getting? Why are you still pedalling your old bicycle when they are driving around in Mercs?”