Adenan wants to retire after five years

comments     Bernama     Published     Updated

Sarawak Chief Minister Adenan Satem said he needs only another five years to helm the state before he retires.

“Age and health factors do not allow me to lead Sarawak beyond that period,” said the 71-year-old Adenan when speaking at the Kota Samarahan division Sarawak state grassroots' leadership seminar in Kuching today.

Hence he urged voters to give him the full mandate for another five years as chief minister to enable him to continue his tasks for the people and state since being appointed as chief minister on Feb 28 last year.

Among Adenan’s ongoing efforts are to obtain the federal government’s agreement to raise the percentage of oil and gas royalty to 20 percent and narrow the poverty gap between the rural and urban people through rural development.

He said the state government had requested an additional federal allocation of RM500 million for rural development for Sarawak which still lagged behind in terms of development compared to states in the peninsula.

On the presence of illegal immigrants, he wanted the Immigration Department to constantly conduct surveillance and take firm action, including detaining and deporting them to their original countries.

Adenan said he had received reports that there were Pakistan nationals engaging in businesses in the state without permit and wanted the department to take action against them.

Meanwhile, he reiterated that Sarawak did not need any political parties from the peninsula to come to the state, including Umno.

“We, Sarawak people, know how to administer our own state and I have informed the prime minister himself that we do not want Umno to come to Sarawak,” he said.

He would also continued with the policy to deny entry for extremist groups and individuals from the peninsula to the state, he added.

- Bernama



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