Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud’s impending exit at the end of this month, after helming the state government for 33 years, has been received with mixed reactions within the BN.

While members of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) appear to be sad, those in the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) are silently relieved as they look for a return of the Chinese vote to the state BN.

Many in SUPP attribute the party’s poor showing in two past elections to Taib’s unpopular policies on land, dam construction, forest management, and government contracts in the construction industry and a horde of other businesses – from rubbish collection to monopoly of steel and cement supply - which have affected the Chinese business community in particular.

In the 2011 state election, SUPP lost 13 Chinese-dominated seats to the opposition out of the 19 seats it was allocated. It won only two Chinese-majority seats, one with a paper-thin majority. But in mainly Dayak constituencies, it won four seats with a huge majority.

In the 2013 federal election, SUPP lost six seats, all in Chinese-majority areas, but won a seat in a mainly Bidayuh constituency.

In both elections, the DAP had cleverly exploited this ‘hatred’ with huge banners and posters warning the Chinese ‘You vote for SUPP, you vote for Taib’, also decribing his ‘politics of development’ as ‘politics of discrimination, nepotism and corruption’.

SUPP former president George Chan (left in photo) , who once served as deputy chief minister, admitted in his book ‘What Now’ that Taib’s long tenure was one of the causes of SUPP’s loss in the state election.

“His refusal to step down and appoint a successor became an unnecessary diversion from our achievements. Even my defeat in the Piasau seat in Miri was due to Taib,” Chan said.

He pointed out that this was exacerbated by “unfounded allegations” of Taib amassing billions of ringgit through corruption, abuse of power and cronyism.

Chinese ‘anger’ against the state BN and SUPP was seen in the May 2010 Sibu by-election as the opposition latched on to Taib’s refusal to resign, his wealth, and alleged abuse of power and cronyism.

So intense was the sentiment against Taib that election strategists advised him not to campaign in the Chinese-majority parliamentary seat for fear of worsening the chances of the BN-SUPP retaining its stronghold.

Instead, it was arranged for him to campaign in areas where the majority of voters were Malays, Melanaus and Ibans.

Yet, despite the presence of federal BN leaders including Najib Abdu Razak and his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin and the injection of more than RM400 million in funds among other goodies, the BN-SUPP lost the seat.

‘Nothing will change’

Now that Adenan Satem is to take over as chief minister, will Chinese support return to the state BN?

Asked to comment, Chong Chieng Jen (left) , the Sarawak DAP chief said: “ The reason why they want Taib to step down is because he is a symbol of tyranny. A lot of abuse of power and corruption has taken place under his leadership.

“The voters do not like Taib ... and ... the people do not like the BN Sarawak government ... It (change of leadership) means another group of cronies coming up and another group of people and family taking over from Taib’s (relatives) as cronies.  

“I think the people are mature enough to know that, even with the change of one person, it will not further the welfare of Sarawakians. I am confident that ... urban voters are still with Pakatan Rakyat.”

Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian (right) said he hopes the voters will understand that Pakatan is not fighting one person, but a political system.

“We have talked about corruption and the lack of development in the rural areas.  We believe the BN has failed in its undertakings that were agreed under Malaysia Agreement many decades ago,” he said.

Desmond Leong, a former editor with the now-defunct Vanguard , said he believes the Chinese will not return to support the BN-SUPP because of its lopsided policies.

“SUPP leaders are bogged down with a power struggle, fighting for personal interests and wealth and they do not have time to fight for the interests of the Chinese community,” he said.

“Assuming that SUPP is deregistered and (its leaders) form a new Chinese-based party, ... it will still not have a power-base. I don’t think the Chinese will return to the BN even with Adenan as chief minister. To them, he will only continue Taib’s policies.”

The writer, who uses a pseudonym, is based in Sarawak.