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| Adenan Satem (left) hugs Abdul Taib Mahmud after PBB meeting. |
Sarawak
Special Functions Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem, who will assume duties as the
fifth Chief Minister of Sarawak effective March 1, said the current state
cabinet members will be retained.
However, he
said, there would be a reshuffle in the various ministerial portfolios.
Adenan told
a press conference that there was a need to maintain the spirit of team work in
the state cabinet.
Nevertheless,
he said would discuss the matter with the cabinet members first, including the
possibility of the deputy minister post previously vacated by Tan Sri Dr George
Chan being filled again.
Pledging
that he would become the chief minister for the people of all races, including
those from the opposition parties, he said: "Even though we differ in
political views, regard me as the chief minister for all because we are all
Malaysians and Sarawakians."
When asked
if his appointment, which was announced by Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib
Mahmud last Wednesday, was due to his loyalty to his Parti Pesaka Bumiputera
Bersatu (PBB) and the latter, he replied in jest: "Thank you for the
compliments directed at me and I hope it will not make me big-headed."
On the
challenges he expected to face upon assuming the leadership of the state
government, Adenan said he would try to resolve the internal conflicts
currently faced by two Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties, namely the
Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) and Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party
(SPDP).
He said the
internal conflicts being faced by SUPP and SPDP must be resolved before the
11th state election is held in 2016, adding that he have the formula for that
but did want do reveal it at this point of time.
“I want to
thank the people of Sarawak of all races and from all walk of life for their words
of praise, messages of congratulations and prayers, especially Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and the
chief minister (Taib) for their confidence in him,” said Adenan.
He also
expressed his gratitude to state Tourism and Housing Minister Datuk Amar Abang
Johari Tun Openg, who is also PBB deputy president and Second Planning and
Environment Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, who is also PBB senior
vice-president, for supporting his appointment as the next chief minister.
He said
following the support given by the two PBB leaders, he would ensure that there
would not be any disunity or factions within PBB even though some outsiders
would like to see the backbone of the state BN fragmented.
At the media
conference in Kuching on Friday, Adenan, who was flanked by his two sons, Abdul Aziz, 47, and Azizul
Annuar, 23, said his selection as the new chief minister was made after the PBB
supreme council members at a meeting last Saturday gave Taib the mandate to choose
his successor.
"He
(Taib) did not want to do so but we (supreme council members) made him obliged
to make his choice and thank you lah for choosing me," he said.
Prior to
that, he said Taib had never openly informed him he would appoint him as his
successor while his meeting with the former in Mecca while performing the umrah
was a coincidence.
"I did
not go there with him (Taib), I happened to meet him there. Actually I had
intended to perform the umrah for a long time after I recovered from my
illness," he said.
On his
health, Adenan admitted he had fallen ill last year and was awarded at the
National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur and Mount Elizabeth hospital in
Singapore but had a clean bill of health now.
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