Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud has remained non-committal as to whether partyless Pelagus state assemblyman Larry Sng will be dropped in the state cabinet reshuffle, scheduled to take place before the state assembly sitting early next month.

taib mahmud Taib, who is also Sarawak BN chairman and Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) president, said today he would leave it to the other component BN party leaders to put up their respective recommendation.

"I am not in charge of the other component parties. It has nothing to do with me and PBB," he told reporters after opening the Hitachi Global Storage Technologies facility at the Sama Jaya Free Industrial Zone (SJFIZ) in Kuching.

larry sng Larry, who is state assistant minister in the Chief Minister's Department, was appointed to the post as a Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) member following the 2006 state election but was expelled following a leadership crisis, which saw the Registrar of Societies declaring James Masing as the legitimate leader.

Recently Larry was quoted as saying that he would leave his political future to the BN leadership, adding that he was still in BN at present.

Two assistant ministers to quit

Asked to comment on the wishes of at least two assistant ministers from PBB to give way to new faces, Taib said that everybody knew that the party's struggle was much more important than the individual's role.

"Their wishes will be accepted," he said when referring to the intention of Assistant Minister of Tourism Hamden Ahmad and Assistant Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communication Bolhassan Di to step down.

Meanwhile State Housing Minister Abang Johari Openg said he would take up the challenge of an added responsibility as his present portfolio was expected to merge with the Urban Urbanisation portfolio to become the Housing and Urban Development Ministry.

The reorganisation will take place in tandem with the pending reshuffle, for which Abang Johari is expected to assist the chief minister in urban development affairs.

- Bernama