Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud is cutting short his overseas trip by one day and flying back to Kuching this evening amidst persisting rumours of his impending resignation, already denied by top political aides.

The crowd at Kuching International Airport to welcome Taib is swelling and BN officials say they expect about 10,000 people with banners supporting his continued leadership this evening.

Taib is expected to touch down at the airport at 8.45 pm from Singapore.
A Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) lecturer told malaysiakini that he had seen 12 buses picking up construction workers from a big housing project Desa Ilmu in Kuching and then heading for the city towards the direction of the airport.
A company managing director said he also saw six buses in front of Naim Cendera's Twin Tower building at at Mile 3, Kuching, ready with banners to proceed to the airport to welcome Taib.

The welcoming party will be led by Deputy Chief Minister and Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) deputy president Alfred Jabu, other state cabinet ministers, and members and supporters of the three component parties of the state BN - PBB, the Sarawak United People's Party (Supp) and Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP).

Malaysiakini

was told that there would be banners pledging full support for Taib as chief minister, a post he has held without interruption since 1981 when he took over from his political nemesis and uncle Abdul Rahman Yaakub.

23 years as CM

Taib is said to be "under mounting pressure to step down from various quarters" after helming the state for more than 23 years, and is said to favour Effendi,Norwawi a PBB vice-president, over PBB deputy president II Abang Johari Tun Openg and senior vice-president Adenan Satem, both of whom are state ministers.

As for Effendi's status, inspite of his public statement that he was not seeking re-election in Kuala Rajang and that he had told Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that he would not want to accept any ministerial appointment, there is also persisting rumour that he may be returning to state politics.

Effendi was a two-term state assemblyperson for Dalat before he was nominated for the Kuala Rajang parliamentary seat in 1999. He was appointed a member of the federal cabinet soon after he was elected.

Abdullah's latest statement that any BN leader including ministers who want to quit after having served a long time or for other reasons should be allowed to do so has been interpreted to mean that he favours some changes in the state political leadership, including Sarawak.

Stringent scrutiny

According to most political analysts, the criteria he has set for the eligibility of candidates to contest has made some leaders reluctant to put their names forward as candidates.

One of the PBB's prospective candidates who asked not to be named told malaysiakini that "Pak Lah is scrutinising every detail of a prospective candidate's background.

"It is therefore hardly surprising a lot of people are not feeling comfortable at all and have voluntarily offered to step down," he added.

Malaysiakini

understands that all candidates standing for parliamentary seats should be able to know officially either by next Monday or Tuesday the BN's decision on the final selection.