Taib springs a surprise

Full minister’s post for Fatimah in Chief Minister’s Dept jolts many people

KUCHING: Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud surprised most people when he created a full minister’s post in the Chief Minister’s Department during a minor State Cabinet reshuffle yesterday.

RESHUFFLING: Taib and his deputy Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan at the press conference on the cabinet reshuffle. - Photo by Jeffery Mostapa

The post was a record of some sort in Sarawak because all this while there were only assistant minister’s posts in the department.

The latest reshuffle also saw Dalat assemblywoman Datin Fatimah Abdullah appointed the first woman full minister in the Chief Minister’s Department. The appointment will take effect this April 2.

However she is not the first woman in the State Cabinet. Before her were Datuk Ajibah Abol and Dato Sri Hafsah Harun.

Taib said yesterday that Fatimah’s appointment meant that her existing portfolios would also be upgraded.

Fatimah will be in charge of manpower planning and training; early childhood education and care; and women and family development.

The Dalat assemblywoman’s responsibilities will also include watching brief for the Education Department and Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.

Currently Fatimah (as assistant minister) holds three portfolios – human resource and training (in the Chief Minister’s Department); women’s development (Ministry of Social Development and Urbanisation), and home economics and training (Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture).

With such reshuffle and Fatimah’s appointment, the Women’s Bureau will be taken out from the Ministry of Social Development and Urbanisation and will be placed under the Chief Minister’s Department.

Then the existing Home Economics portfolio will be assigned administratively by the Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture to Fatimah.

Taib told a press conference at his office in Wisma Bapa Malaysia that Fatimah has the ability to spearhead educational development in Sarawak.

He said: “She is hard working. She has been preparing a lot of work for gradual development of education in Sarawak, especially in the areas of pre-school education.

“We have three or four meetings on education. I have found out that she has got the cooperation from professionals and others.

“She will push to increase the number of pre-school teachers. And we hope to have over 500 teachers in due course,” said Taib who is Finance Minister and Minister of Planning and Resource Management.

The minor Cabinet reshuffle also saw the appointment of Batu Kawah assemblyman Tan Joo Phoi as Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department, in charge of environmental matters, particularly ones that link to the construction of hydro-power dams in Murum, Baleh, Baram and Limbang.

Tan is also Municipal Padawan Council chairman as well as Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) central working committee member.

Taib said Tan’s appointment was because a few of his Chinese friends in Kuching said they needed someone who have got some position in SUPP hierarchy to help SUPP recover some of its lost positions in Kuching.

Taib was referring to the four state seats namely Pending, Kota Sentosa, Batu Lintang and Padungan which SUPP lost in May 2006 state polls.

However Taib, who is State BN chairman, pointed out that BN-SUPP lost these seats to the opposition not because the majority has lost confidence in the State BN but certain groups have decided to cast protest votes.

As Tan is an engineer and a Barisan Nasional (BN) assemblyman in Kuching, he fitted Taib’s requirement for appointing an additional assistant minister, said Taib yesterday.

“When I was thinking about the series hydro-power dams in Murum, Baleh, Baram and Limbang it is quite obvious that environmental matters would require close attention … more attention than I can give.

“So when I decided to combine the need of Kuching Division and the need for environment supervision during the construction of these dams, I appoint an engineer – Tan Joo Phoi.

“As an engineer Tan should be able to assist us in environmental matters,” he said.

At the same press conference Taib also announced the return of former minister, Tanjung Datu assemblyman Datuk Amar Adenan Satem, to active ‘ministerial’ position.

Adenan was appointed Special Advisor to the Chief Minister’s Department, in charge of public affairs and a watching brief for Information and Broadcasting.

Adenan, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) information chief, will enjoy all perks and privileges enjoyed of a minister.

“I take Adenan back to keep tab on public affairs. The Cabinet has too much work and now we want to be more conscious of the response of the public to our policies.

He has the experience. So we appointed him as special advisor. He has journalism background and has good rapport with reporters. His post is advisory but one with a minister’s rank,” said Taib.

Adenan would have access to government facilities and perks as if he is a minister, said Taib.

Adenan was former Minister of Agriculture and Food Industries before he was appointed federal Minister of Natural Resources and Environment when he was Batang Sadong MP. He was subsequently dropped from the federal cabinet.

In May 2006 state polls he contested for BN-PBB in Tanjung Datu and won with a handsome majority. The last cabinet reshuffle was held on Nov 8, 2009 and the new appointment took effect on Dec 1, 2009. It saw six new faces compared to one yesterday.

Source : Borneo Post