Johari to be new Sarawak DCM?

The chemistry between Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud and Housing Minister Abang Johari Tun Openg during Friday prayers at Jamek Mosque in Kuching yesterday has raised the eyebrows of political observers.

Taib, who was sitting on the first row, acknowledged Johari’s presence by calling him to the front and patting his back in a fatherly manner.

The warm ties between the two fuel speculation that Taib is attempting to cement his Singapore-style succession plan.

Talk is that Johari, the younger son of Sarawak’s first governor Abang Openg, could be made a new deputy chief minister to represent the Malay community in an impending cabinet reshuffle.

The Sarawak cabinet has two deputy chief ministers at present - Dr George Chan of Chinese-based Supp and Alfred Jabu representing the Pesaka (Dayak) wing of PBB.

In the past, before the infamous 1987 Ming Court attempted coup to topple Taib as chief minister, the state also had three DCMs.

The previous three DCM-team comprised Alfred Jabu, the late Sim Kheng Hong (Supp) and Daniel Tajem (of the now defunct PBDS).

The notion of appointing Johari as DCM is considered ‘near impossible’ in the past considering the bitter ties between the president (Taib) and deputy president (Johari) after the latter stood for the PBB No 2 in the 1998 party election against Taib’s wishes.

Important portfolio

At that time, Taib’s favoured candidate was Adenan Satem.

However, Adenan was defeated by Johari and later appointed to the face-saving post of senior vice-president. In recent times, the Taib-Adenan ties has been noticeably strained.

Johari has also been rumoured to be assigned the more important role in the Sarawak cabinet taking over from DCM George Chan as minister of agriculture modernisation.

The portfolio is nothing new to Johari as he joined Taib’s cabinet more than 20 years ago as an assistant agriculture minister.

Taib, despite the love-hate relationship with Johari, has given him important assignments such as to revive the state’s tourism industry and also to tackle housing woes.

Other than Johari, the man dubbed by Taib as Sarawak only ‘MIC representative’, Daud Abdul Rahman, is also expected to be promoted to full minister from an assistant minister. Daud recently won the party’s vice-president 1 post.

Meanwhile, PBB secretary-general Dr Stephen Rundee, vice-president Wahab Abdul Aziz and Lambir assemblyperson Aidan Wing were also speculated to be appointed assistant ministers.

Expected to make way for them are three out-of-favour boys - Bolhassan Di, Dr Abdul Rauf and Naroden Majais.

It was also widely speculated that Adenan Satem (right) will be taking over from Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar role as speaker of the state legislative assembly.

However, it is not immediately known when Taib would reshuffle his cabinet - a decision he has already postponed twice.