Pilihan raya terakhir bagi Taib?
MESRA: Taib bertanya khabar kepada murid-murid SK Kampung Kuala Balingian iaitu Boniface Luis dan Alexson Merayang (kiri) yang menyambut ketibaan beliau dalam Program Berambeh Jegem Ketua Menteri di Balai Raya Kampung Kuala Balingian, semalam. Kelihatan sama isteri beliau, Ragad Waleed.
BALINGIAN: Ketua Menteri Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud membayangkan beliau mungkin akan bertanding dalam pilihan raya negeri akan datang untuk kali terakhir, sebelum bersara, disebabkan oleh faktor usia.
Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Balingian itu turut mengesahkan bahawa keputusan mengenai tempat di mana beliau akan bertanding dalam pilihan raya negeri kelak hanya akan diputuskan pada saat-saat akhir.
“Mungkin saya bertanding dalam pilihan raya negeri akan datang untuk kali yang terakhir disebabkan usia semakin meningkat. Saya sangat menghargai sokongan rakyat di sini.
“Bagaimanapun, seperti dalam pilihan raya negeri mahupun umum terdahulu, kawasan di mana saya bertanding hanya diputuskan pada saat-saat akhir,” katanya.
Beliau menyatakan demikian sebagai maklum balas terhadap permintaan warga daerah kecil ini yang masih mahukan beliau kekal di Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Balingian dalam pilihan raya negeri akan datang.
Permohonan itu dizahirkan Ahli Parlimen Mukah Dato Sri Dr Muhammad Leo Michael Toyad semasa berucap dalam Program Berambeh Jegem Ketua Menteri di Balai Raya Kampung Kuala Balingian, di sini semalam.
Presiden Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) yang kini berusia 74 tahun itu menegaskan, kebolehan beliau mentadbir negeri ini dengan berkesan diinspirasikan oleh perpaduan utuh di kalangan rakyat jelata.
“Negeri ini akan selamat jika kestabilan politik yang ada sekarang berkesinambungan. Berpolitik memang tidak sempurna. Tiada pemimpin hari ini yang 100 peratus sempurna.
“Bohong andai ada yang mendakwa boleh mentadbir secara 100 peratus sempurna. Apa yang ada (kemajuan) pada hari ini pun cukup baik, perlu dipertahan dan diteruskan,” jelasnya.
Selain itu, beliau berpesan kepada rakyat agar tidak bergaduh sesama sendiri seperti yang sedang berlaku di beberapa negara di Teluk ketika ini.
“Jangan berebut-rebut. Sedikit sama sedikit. Banyak sama banyak. Bahkan, pembangunan fizikal yang mantap sekarang membolehkan ekonomi meningkat. Pendapatan perkapita rakyat juga bertambah baik.
“Pada masa sama, saya menyeru rakyat supaya tidak mudah terpesona dengan janji-janji manis pembangkang yang bertujuan untuk meraih undi simpati,” tambahnya.
Hadir sama ialah isteri beliau Puan Sri Ragad Waleed Alkurdi, Setiausaha Politik Kepada Ketua Menteri Abu Seman Jahwie, Pengarah Urusan Kumpulan Parabena Sdn Bhd, Datuk Raziah Mahmud serta Penghulu Johari Mahali.
Pada pilihan raya negeri yang lepas, Taib yang bertanding di kerusi DUN N.51 Balingian atas tiket BN-PBB berjaya memenangi kerusi itu dengan memperolehi 6,393 undi dan majoriti 5,726 (89.06 peratus), mengalahkan calon Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Ibrahim Bayau yang hanya memperolehi 667 undi.
.............................................................................................
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=94862
BALINGIAN: Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud yesterday gave a strong indication that he may retire from politics after leading Barisan Nasional (BN) in the coming state election due to age factor.
MOVING TOGETHER: Taib (right) flanked by Abu Seman greets schoolchildren upon his arrival at Kuala Balingian with his wife Raghad (behind Taib) and others yesterday.
Taib made the remarks in his speech as guest-of-honour at the ‘Berambeh Jegem’ programme with the chief minister held at Kampung Kuala Balingian community hall here yesterday.
Taib was responding to popular calls from local grassroots leaders from Kampung Jebungan, Kampung Sesok/Sau and Kampung Petanak in Mukah as well as from Kampung Kuala Balingian which hosted the programme on Saturday and yesterday.
“I think it will be timely for me to call it a day and retire from politics after leading BN in the forthcoming election in Sarawak, mainly because of age factor and to spend more time with my family,” said Taib, 74, who had just tied the knot with Puan Sri Raghad Waleed Alkurdi Taib last January.
Responding to the overwhelming calls for him to defend his Balingian seat, Taib confirmed that he will only make a decision on his seat after finalising the list of all BN candidates in other constituencies, which has been his normal practice since becoming chief minister and head of Sarawak BN on March 26, 1981.
“I will make a decision on which seat I will contest after completing the final list of other winnable BN candidates in all constituencies, which is my normal practice since leading Sarawak BN,” said Taib firmly.
The term of the current state legislative assembly expires sometime in July this year.
Taib won the Sebandi (now Asajaya) by-election in 1981 and was appointed land and mines minister before succeeding his uncle, Tun Abdul Rahman Yakub, as chief minister of Sarawak. He held the Sebandi seat until 1987, when he was elected as state assemblyman for Asajaya constituency. In 2001, Taib contested and won Balingian seat which he successfully defended in 2006. His victory brought tremendous development and progress to the people of Balingian and the central region of Sarawak, particularly with the introduction of Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) initiatives, mainly to develop the central region encompassing Tanjung Manis-Mukah-Samalaju (Bintulu) regions.
In his welcoming speech, organising chairman Penghulu Johari Mahali pledged the community’s full support for Taib as their leader in Balingian in order to enjoy greater development and progress.
Meanwhile in his speech, Mukah member of parliament Dato Sri Dr Muhammed Leo Toyad called on Taib to defend his Balingian seat in the coming election and continue to become chief minister for many more years to come.
The function was also attended by Jemoreng assemblyman Abu Seman Jahwie, Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) chairperson Datuk Raziah Mahmud, Mukah Resident Saudi Narani, district officer Mohamad Nawawi and other heads of government departments.
