Harakah Daily Is Upbeat on Pek Moh's Early Exit...

'Taib the next Wan Mokhtar?'

By Harakahdaily

KUCHING, Apr 15: With barely 24 hours before Sarawakians participate in the state's most intensely fought election, "Will Taib Mahmud become the next Wan Mokhtar Ahmad?" has been a question on everyone's lips.


Wan Mokhtar Ahmad was the long-serving Terengganu Menteri Besar from 1974 till 1999, who suffered a shock defeat to PAS during the 1999 general election, delivering to the Islamic party one of the peninsula's richest states.

So when former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad told the embattled Sarawak chief minister to "learn from history", veteran DAP leader Lim Kit Siang wondered whether the former strongman was referring to Mokhtar.

“Can former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad be proven right when he cryptically advised Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud to 'learn from history' in deciding when to step down, citing the case of 'one MB who insisted he should continue, and lost the whole state'?" asked Lim.

'Putrajaya closed six days'

Saying Taib’s continued stay in office has become the most potent weapon against Barisan Nasional in election tomorrow, Lim (left) said the issue had united Sarawakians from all walks of life, bringing them together on the agreement that Taib's tenure was marked by absence of accountability, transparency and good governance, as well as unanswered allegations on abuses of power and rampant corruption.

In spite of this fact, said Lim, prime minister Najib Razak was helplessly attempting to get Taib to agree on early retirement, an attempt which was foiled following Taib's public declaration that he would stay put for "few more years".

“There is nothing the Prime Minister could do about it. For instance, when Najib 'closed down' Putrajaya for six days and led his entire Cabinet to Sarawak to campaign in the Sarawak state general elections on Sunday, his first message was to assure Sarawakians that a change in the state leadership was imminent.

"But Taib refused to 'play ball' and made it very clear in Najib’s presence the next day that he was not planning any 'imminent' stepping down as Chief Minister, as his time frame is 'in a few years’ time',” said Lim.

Lim described as the ‘greatest political mystery of the century’ a claim by Taib that he had been grooming his successor for 20 years.

On Taib’s sudden timeframe of stepping down in two years, Lim said it would still depend on the outcome of Saturday's polls.

“Clearly, it is still very elastic to Taib as to the timeframe of his stepping down as Sarawak Chief Minister and depending on the outcome of Saturday’s polls, it could still range from two, three to four and even five years!” he chided.

Achievable goal

Like in past general elections, the DAP advisor however preferred to stick to his familiar call for denying the BN its traditional two-thirds majority, saying it was an achievable goal, which would also ensure Taib's exit.

“There is no way Taib could continue as Chief Minister if he loses two-thirds state assembly majority on Saturday as this would impact most adversely on Najib’s political future and in particular for the long-delayed 13th national elections,” he stressed.

Lim called on his comrades to continue the hardwork despite the huge odds stacked against BN, saying that no one would be assured of victory in any seats until the final vote count.

Lim also warned that in the final day of campaigning, the BN "will go all out to 'steal' the 10th Sarawak state general elections with their department of 'dirty tricks' working 24/7".