I refer to Malaysiakini report S'wak state rep leads 12,000 into PKR .

The entry of Gabril Adit Demong, an independent Sarawak state assembly person into PKR, might mark the beginning of the downfall of the long-standing chief minister of the hornbill state who has overstayed his welcome. The big crowd in Sibu attending the dinner - which was graced by Anwar Ibrahim and other stalwarts from the opposition front - indicates that the common people in Sarawak are ready for change. The sooner the better.

Times are a-changing but the chief minister of Sarawak still does not get the message that his time is up. But with this independent assembly person making his move with his supporters to join PKR, the downfall of Taib Mahmud as well as other entrenched state representatives might follow suit. First Sarawak might fall to the opposition front followed by the federal government, God willing.

During the last state polls, BN lost quite a considerable number of state seats but the defiant chief minister still did not want to quit his high post and still wanted to remain in office although the tides was against him. Even the federal leaders dared not advice the long-standing chief minister to make way for others as practically all the local state leaders are beholden to the old man.

Taib Mahmud is Sarawak and Sarawak is Taib Mahmud. Such is his grip on power that other pretenders to the throne were shown to the door one by one until there is no one left to replace him. (Maybe he is trying to get his son to replace him after the next polls,)

With 30 members of parliaments from Sarawak, political pundits are with interest if other MPs from Sarawak who are unhappy with federal government policies towards East Malaysia might just follow Gabril steps and jumps ship. The domino effect of BN MPs from the hornbill state jumping ship will then catch the attention on MPs from Sabah and the peninsula who will do the same if they find that the BN ship is sinking. When Sarawak changes it course, the BN government will collapse.

Sarawak is ripe for change as the chief minister and his family have become filthy rich by dubious means and by awarding timber concessions to cronies and family members. Really, only despots cling to office for life but normally, those who rule with an iron fist and abuse their power for personal gain will fall from grace with a thud (remember Ferdinand Marcos and Suharto?)

Surprisingly, although the long-standing chief minister was involved in several controversies involving alleged massive corruption, no action has been taken against him by the federal government. It may be that Taib Mahmud is untouchable by the law as he is practically the uncrowned ‘king’ of the hornbill state like during the time of the Brooke dynasty during the colonial era.

Sarawak’s good natural resources could help lift the state’s hardcore poor out of their abject poverty but the wealth is not evenly distributed and the rich and elite take a major portion of state’s economic pie while the rest only gets the crumbs.

The Dayaks, who are the majority, also make up the poorest people in the state and should be helped out of their misery. If the community is united under one banner, it would not be impossible for one of them to become the next chief minister in the next polls. But the Dayaks are split amongst several political parties and there are no prominent Dayak leaders who can command the respect of the community to become their paramount leader.

Temengong Jugah was the ‘last of the Mohicans’ who was the paramount leader of the Dayak tribe and who become a cabinet member under the first prime minister.

Anyway, the writing is on the wall for the current Sarawak chief minister to make way for others real soon failing which voters might just swing the state government to the opposition in the next polls. A chorus of voices from prominent Sarawakians can be heard asking for the long-standing chief minister to go.

It is therefore imperative for Taib Mahmud to leave office if he does not want the people to vote him out of office. Enough of destroying and ripping off the state’s assets for personal gain as people are basically fed up with your iron rule which only benefitted a few selected elite.

Sarawakians can be an agent of change for this country so I say to them to go for it and be the first state to lead the others. Throw out the corrupt incumbents and prevent them from destroying our nation’s future with their inept leadership.

A new dawn awaits us if only the people dare to change for the better.