The surat layang (flying letter) has made a come-back in Kuching - this time on the much-talked-about Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud's succession plan following the sudden return of former Natural Resources and Environment Minister Adenan Satem to Sarawak politics.

Within a week, there were two separate surat layang , seen as a culture between rival political groups to highlight issues for the ordinary kampung folks and men in the street on issues considered crucial at the relevant time to the local Malay community.

The first letter surfaced during last week's visit of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy Najib Tun Razak and was distributed at a state banquet on Saturday and also during an official function Abdullah attended at a religious school in Matang.

The contents in Bahasa Malaysia were said to put Adenan's rival Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) deputy president and state Housing Minister Abang Johari Tun Openg in the good book of the contry's top leaders, without mentioning Taib or Adenan at all.

Johari quickly condemned it as the work of irresponsible people who wanted to drive a wedge between the party leaders.

The second surfaced yesterday and were found in predominantly Malay areas in and around Kuching. The contents were said to dwell on the weaknesses of Adenan, said to be favoured by Taib and whom Taib appointed immediately as party senior vice-president after his defeat at the hands of Johari in the1998 party convention for the deputy president's post.

So far there has been no reaction from any other party leader on the latest surat layang .

Taib undecided

Meanwhile, malaysiakini learnt that at a closed-door meeting Sarawak United People Party (Supp) leaders had with Taib on Sunday, the chief minister indirectly referred to his succession plan, saying that he had not made up his mind yet.

Talk is that inspite of reports about his health Taib will remain as chief minister for another five-year term after this year's state election or until he decides to stand down after the next polls.

He had mentioned three party leaders - Johari, Adenan and newly-appointed Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Effendi Norwawi - as being his possible successors.

Today, the chief minister declined to comment on questions regarding Adenan after a state cabinet meeting in Kuching.

He was understood to have told some reporters that he did not want to make any comment on Adenan "because there is too much tension in PBB."

The tension he referred to is the intense rivalry between Johari and Adenan over who should succeed him if and when he decides to step down.

A Utusan Malaysia special writer Nordie Achie under an article with the heading 'Siapa pengganti Abdul Taib (Who will succeed Abdul Taib)' described Adenan as Taib's choice and Johari, son of Sarawak's first-post Independence governor the late Tun Abang Openg, as PBB's choice.