Outgoing Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud hopes to improve relations with the media after he steps down from his office at the end of this month.

    

Addressing the media at his office in Wisma Bapak Malaysia, Kuching today, Taib noted that so far the media had probably been seeing only "one side of his face", thus hoping that they would discover the "other side of him" later.

    

"I don't know what the press views about me or looks at me. You have seen one side of my face probably, not the other side. You have not been able to be with me in a relaxed situation and in relaxed surroundings.

    

"So perhaps you would discover this later on," he added.

    

Explaining himself, Taib said he had to be professional in his relationship with the press in the past, with the main interest to get his government's policies understood.

    

"But I think as I got more drawn into the bustle of work, I think I have been reacting in terms of the press as someone who takes the news as I tell the news.

    

"I think I had no chance to do other things, nevertheless I see the press are quite good, they are quite understanding. So thank you very much for your understanding... I could not have asked for a better relationship," he said before ending his last press conference as chief minister.

- Bernama