COMMENT | Rarely have some politicians appeared quite ridiculous and preposterous in their fawning adoration of the late Taib Mahmud who died in the early hours of Feb 21.

Many claimed that Taib was “responsible for uniting Sarawakians of all races, ethnicities and religions together”.

To be fair, the Sarawak people have always been a multiracial, multireligious community. Taib did not need to bring them together. Sarawakians were already united.

However, this veneer of harmony may not last long, if Putrajaya manages to export conservative teachers to Sarawak schools and conservative Malays for the Sarawak civil service.

Other politicians praised Taib for “devoting his life to public service until his death”.

Many successful politicians refuse to leave office. It is not devotion to public service but more like dedication to fulfilling their selfish agendas.

Many politicians become obscenely wealthy after a few terms in office. Why leave their plum jobs? Being a politician is a...