Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud said today the timing of the state election will have nothing to do with his 30th anniversary in office this March 26.

Amid rife speculation that the 71-member Sarawak assembly would be dissolved by the middle of this month to pave the way for the 10th state polls, Taib, who turns 75 on May 21, said the election would be held very soon but stopped short of giving any date.

"I don't know. I won't tell you (media) anyway," the Sarawak BN chairman told reporters here after opening the state BN convention attended by 5,300 members and supporters of the coalition.

Taib, who is Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu president, was confident that the convention would consolidate ties among the four component parties of the state BN, especially in view of the coming election that must be held before July 24.

PBB's partners in the coalition are the Sarawak United Peoples' Party, Parti Rakyat Sarawak and the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party.

    

- Bernama