Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Dr George Chan Hong Nam has said that he does not think retiring Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's comments that long-serving politicians should give way to younger leaders apply to Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.

In what is the first initial public reaction to Dr Mahathir's comments from Sarawak Barisan Nasional leaders, Chan, who is Sarawak United People's Party (Supp) president said while he supported the idea of BN veteran leaders giving way to younger ones, "generally this does not apply to Sarawak yet."

In comments attributed to him in a local English daily Sarawak Tribune today, Chan said: "We have to look at the overall picture. If there is political stability and that the leader is still effective and the people still want him, there should not be any need for change."

Taib, who is president of Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB), the backbone of the state's four-member ruling coalition, has served a total of 40 years as minister both at state and federal levels.

He is currently away in Europe on holidays with his family and is expected back before the start of the fasting month.

Enviable position

He became Sarawak's chief minister in 1981, succeeding his uncle and erstwhile political nemesis Abdul Rahman Yakub. Although he has indicated that he would have to stay down one day, he has not, however, set any time frame.

Taib is in an enviable position where he holds a strong grip on the state coalition parties comprising PBB, Supp, Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak and Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP). The membership status of a fifth party, Sarawak National Party (Snap) in BN remains doubtful as the issue is now before the court.

Chan who is related to Taib by way of marriage of their children was also quoted as saying that only when a leader could not work as a team or that he has lost the support of the team should he go.

The case with Dr Mahathir, he added, was different, pointing out that although the people wanted him to stay on he himself wanted to step down because he probably thought that 23 years was already too long as prime minister.

A national Bahasa Malaysia newspaper report had speculated that Taib was among those targetted by Mahathir who felt it was about time other long-serving politicians should call it a day and let younger people take over leadership roles.

Feeling the pressure

A former senior Sarawak politician who asked not to be identified said Chan's comments suggest that certain quarters in Sarawak were feeling the pressure from Mahathir's call.

"Obviously, they have to differentiate Taib from the rest, by justifying that he is still effective, in spite of his four decades as a minister, and that he still has considerable support from ruling parties," he added.

A Kuching-based academic, however, said :"I agree with the prime minister that all long-time politicians should step down. Thus, if Mahathir can step down, there is no reason why Taib should stay."

"Taib has done well over the last 22 years and now, in the spirit of rejuvenating the BN, he should pass the baton. This is all the more so since staying on will only confirm the continued impression that he is doing so more for family business interests than the affairs of government."

The academic who also asked not to be identified told malaysiakini :"Thus, if the BN is serious about improving things, Taib should seriously consider his position and step down."

"After all, nobody is indispensable. Mahathir proved this to his credit."

He also said that he felt it was also time that Sarawak saw a stable succession with the PBB deputy president taking over from Taib.

"After all, this is what political succession is about. And on that note, one should also remember that political succession is via democratic choice and not feudal appointment. It it not for anyone to decide on who his replacement should be. Rather, the Sarawak state legislative assembly should decide who they want as chief minister."

Set time frame

Meanwhile, Professor Dr Hamdan Adnan, a Suhakam commissioner and consumer activist who was in Kuching on an official visit told malaysiakini that he agreed with Mahathir's assertion that long-serving politicians should also try and follow in his footsteps to give way to younger leaders.

He felt that it would be better if leaders set a time frame as to when they would step down either as heads in the government or their own parties to avoid creating unnecessary problems.

According to him, problems often arose in some political parties when leaders stayed on indefinitely.

He quoted what one Indian parliamentarian once said:"When a person becomes a leader, he looks after himself, then his party, then his family and then the people. But unfortunately, in reality it doesn't always work that way."