A Sarawakian will fill the deputy tourism minister post vacated by Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib, said Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Najib, who is also Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, said Sulaiman's successor would be announced soon.

sulaiman taib "Yes, from Sarawak. We already have the name but cannot be announced yet," he told reporters after opening the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party's triennial general meeting at Dewan Suarah Kuching here today.

Sulaiman ( left ), 41, who is also Parti Pesaka Bumiputera (PBB) Youth deputy chief, was appointed deputy tourism minister on March 19, 2008 when Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was the prime minister and was retained in the post when Najib took over the helm of the counrty in April.

On Dec 4, Sulaiman announced that he had resigned from his deputy ministerial post on personal reasons.

Speculations sparked by Sulaiman’s resignation

Najib accepted Sulaiman's resignation as deputy tourism minister effective on Dec 14 after having consultations with the latter's father Abdul Taib Mahmud, who is also Sarawak chief minister and Sarawak BN chairman.

Sulaiman made his entry into federal level politics when he won the Kota Samarahan parliamentary seat, which used to be held by his father, in the 2008 general election.

There have been speculations that Abdul Taib is planning to contest his son at the next Sarawak state election, due by 2011, and begin grooming him as a possible successor.

There are also rumours that Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, who was overlooked by Najib when he named his cabinet eight months ago, be picked as a minister in a minor reshuffle hastened by Sulaiman’s resignation.

- Bernama