It is not why the rotational system for the Sabah chief minister's post has been retained, with some changes to its modus operandi , but rather that a Chinese instead of a Kadazandusun has been appointed to take over from outgoing chief minister Osu Sukam that has generated new interest among a lot of people.

The decision that Prime Minister and Barisan Nasional supremo Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced in Kuala Lumpur on Friday disappointed Sabah Umno who had hoped and prayed that Mahathir, who engineered the rotation system in the first place, would scrap it altogether, allowing their man Osu Sukam to carry on.

Osu had already expected it in his last week in office after a top Mahathir aide flew to Kota Kinabalu and handed him a note which was said to contain some indications that he would have to vacate office soon. His two-year term ended on March 16 and Dr Mahathir took the opportunity of a Barisan Nasional meeting with all leaders of component party leaders to make a final consultation and to announce his decision.

It was a bitter pill, especially for Osu Sukam, to swallow but he had half-expected it, partly because of strong opposition to him continuing and also partly because within his own party - the local Umno - there are some people who would not want him to continue.

His supporters had been trying some months to garner support among the people of Sabah and to get a signed petition of 200,000 signatures to persuade the prime minister to scrap the idea of rotating the post every two years among the three major communities in Sabah - Malay/Muslims, non-Malay/Muslims (Kadazandusun) and Chinese.

Several other component party leaders in Sabah have also not been happy with Osu Sukam's handling of several important issues, including the proposed pulp and paper project and the replacement of 100,000 water meters.

The Barisan Nasional's Kadazandusun-based parties are the United Pasuk Kadazandusun Organisation (Upko) led by Bernard Dompok and the Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) led by Joseph Kurup.

Most of these Kadazandusun-based parties had their ranks swollen by defections from Joseph Pairin Kitingan's Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS). Among them is Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, Pairin's brother, who joined PBRS as its deputy leader and had hoped to garner enough support to benefit from the rotational system.

Compromise choice

A veteran Sabah journalist described LDP leader Chong Kah Kiat's appointment as the new chief minister for a two-year term as a middle-of-the-road choice. Reason: because of the lack of unity and infighting within the Kadazandusun factions within the Sabah Barisan Nasional.

He recalled what happened in the sixties when Sabah achieved its independence through Malaysia. The then United Sabah National Organisation (Usno) leader Mustapha Harun chose to become head of state, believing as such he would be able to wield powers but only to realise later that real power was in the hand of the chief minister who was then Donald Stephens, who led the Kadazan-based Upko.

Mustapha sought Kuala Lumpur's help to get him appointed as chief minister in place of Donald Stephens (later Fuad Stephens after he was appointed head of state).

But Kuala Lumpur did not immediately agree and as a compromise choice, Sabah Chinese Association's Peter Lo was instead appointed chief minister in the interim. Mustapha only became chief minister after he led Usno to an election victory, and ruled Sabah like his own fiefdom only to be toppled later by the Berjaya party led first by Fuad Stephens and later by Harris Salleh whom himself was later toppled by Pairin's PBS in 1986.

PBS at first enjoyed widespread support and won easily in the elections but in the mid-1980s elections it barely managed to scrap through and crumbled when many of its leaders decided to defect to Barisan Nasional.

TONY THIEN is a freelance journalist based in Kuching.