Sarawak CM: I’m Adenan, not ‘Pek Moh’
He tells the public that he is his own man, free from the hold of any individual including Taib Mahmud
(FMT) – Sarawak Chief Minister Adenan Satem says that he is his own man, free of the hold of any individuals including that of his predecessor, Abdul Taib Mahmud.
In a joint ceramah with a candidate of Barisan Nasional component party Sarawak United People’s Party last night, Adenan spoke to a Chinese-majority crowd of about 1,500 and appealed for them to give his team a chance at winning the May 7 state elections.
In his attempt to win over the voters, Adenan insisted he was nothing like “Pek Moh” (white hair) as his predecessor, long-time Sarawak leader Taib Mahmud, was known to the Chinese community.
“The Chinese have to choose. I know back in 2011 a lot of Chinese didn’t vote for BN. But I’m telling you this is Adenan Anak Satem and I am not ‘White Hair’. I am my own man.
“The only thing I have is a good relationship with ‘White Hair’. Now he is governor, he doesn’t tell me what to do.
Recounting a conversation he had with the governor, Adenan said Taib told him “Now, you are the chief minister of Sarawak, you do it your way. I cannot interfere. If you want advice from me, I will give. If you don’t want, I will keep quiet”.
His speech gained a huge roar of support and excitement from the crowd.
Taib had reigned over the country’s largest state for almost 33 years, ending only with his resignation in 2014. Tainted with allegations of corruption, his last participation in the state election saw the loss of Chinese support which mainly shifted to the opposition party DAP.
Adenan has since worked hard to regain the support with the aim of winning the 11th state election with a landslide majority. This, he said last night, was important to ensure Sarawak can take back the 18 powers promised to them in the 1963 Malaysia Agreement.
“We want the powers we lost. In 1963, North Borneo, Sarawak, Singapore and Malaya signed an agreement forming Malaysia. In there all sorts of powers were given. But they were taken away.
“I want the powers back, and that’s why I want a big mandate from the Sarawakians. If I can get that, then we have the power to tell KL (Federal government), you listen to me! I represent Sarawak! But if I’m weak, they’ll be like, ‘ah, why care about what he has to say, he doesn’t have any power’.”
Those present at the ceramah held in Batu Kawah here appeared to be convinced by Adenan’s words, but their support for other BN candidates especially those from the SUPP, still remains to be seen.
This is so as the majority of the public left almost immediately after Adenan ended his speech to make way for other SUPP candidates.
Batu Kawah was won by the DAP in 2011. The seat is being contested by an all-Chinese line up of candidates, comprising DAP’s Christina Chiew, SUPP president Dr Sim Kui Hiang, and independent Liu Thian Leong.
