PAS Youth will seek an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to protest the widely reported speculation that Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud will replace Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Abang Barieng as Sarawak's Yang di-Pertua Negeri.

PAS Youth chief Suhaizan Kaiat ( right ) said today this followed reports in the mass media that Taib would resign as chief minister by Feb 28, when Abang Muhammad is due to retire.

“We take the speculations very seriously, as Taib has been accused of corruption and abuse of power.

“PAS Youth will send a memorandum to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to urge further investigations and that he Taib charged.

“We will also meet with palace representatives to seek an audience with the Agong to urge His Majesty to reconsider and not to appoint (Taib) as Yang di-Pertua Negeri,” Suhaizan told a press conference this morning.

He added that Taib’s resignation would also be the best time for the MACC to reopen investigation papers against him, or open new investigations.

“PAS Youth sees that it is as if MACC is prevented from pressing charges and we were told that MACC could not investigate fully because of the power that Taib wields,” he said.

Taib, who has been the chief minister of Sarawak for the last 33 years, is said to have family assets estimated at RM64 billion.

He has been embattled with graft allegations, but has consistently denied any wrongdoing, and at one time even calling the MACC “ naughty and dishonest ”.

        

Malay language daily Berita Harian , quoting unnamed sources, reported that Taib is due to announce his resignation at a meeting of his party, PBB, tomorrow.