Veteran journalist and author James Ritchie with 35 book titles to his credit has kept himself abreast with political events in Sarawak. Excerpts from his Taib – 50 Years book tell of the present TYT’s efforts to transform Sarawak from a backwater state into what it is today during his 50 – year active political career.
BRAVING THE FUTURE
As leader of the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly, Taib has never failed to provide stewardship to all the 61 representatives, including the lone opposition member who made it through by the skin of his teeth in the September 2001 election.
The “Captain of the Ship” has become planner and strategist and a role model for his colleagues in the Cabinet and State assembly who look up to him, not just for inspiration, but also because of his sound policies.
During his time, Sarawak has seen new and innovative laws and ordinances that were introduced in the Legislative Assembly in keeping with the needs of the changing times. All the while his uncompromising motto has remained as it was at the beginning: “Economic advancement, Progress and Development”.
His thinking has not changed over the last 41 years and is best expressed in his most recent speeches at the State Legislative Assembly where his experience as a Parliamentarian at national level and now, as the longest serving chief minister in one state alone, have held him in good stead.
In Sarawak, cabinet ministers have always been provided ample latitude to introduce bills while the assistant ministers have also benefited from the experience of their superiors.
It is essential to remember that unlike other State Legislative Assemblies, except for the National Parliament, Sarawak’s is the largest in the country.
SOCIAL JUSTICE
Taib has never forgotten the lessons he learnt in the arena of social justice in his early years as a Federal minister and has successfully applied it as chief executive of Sarawak. Speaking at the State legislative assembly in November 2002, he said:
“We can say it today in Malaysia, the social fabric is even stronger than in some developed countries.
“What we are trying to do is based on pragmatic consideration of bringing all of our people into our development efforts so as to benefit, maybe not in equal proportion because such a thing is not possible at all in any society … even in a communist society.
“We try, nevertheless, to make sure that the development benefits will be spread out, of course according to the ability of people to adjust themselves to adopt the benefits from government policies.”
Sarawak can be proud that under his leadership, the poverty rate has gone down from 40 percent 20 years ago to below seven percent. Now the core poverty group has been reduced from 50,000 to less than 5,000.
Taib added: “We can clearly see from our own experience in this country that the rate of poverty has gone down a great deal faster than we have seen in any period of our history.”
STEWARD OF THE HOUSE
During Taib’s leadership, texts of speeches were allowed to be read in the participation of debates. He considered the Standing Orders in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (and National 3Parliament) “anachronistic” and “a legacy of colonial rule”.
However, unlike the others, Taib has always spoken off the cuff and despite the complexity of the subjects, he has been able to address each and every issue remarkably well.
Taib is not as abrasive as some of the opposition members have made him out to be. Instead, the Chief Minister is accommodating and sincere in his motives in instilling camaraderie among his colleagues in politics and the people.
In his winding-up address at the Legislative Assembly in July 2003, Taib again stressed on the need to continue to pursue a policy of “consensus and consultation” as this was a winning formula.
Against the backdrop of Sarawak’s myriad religions and cultures, this policy has brought about harmony, stability and co-operation and enabled the government to institute its policies with limited hindrance.
In his winding up speech at the Legislative Assembly in July 2003, Taib said: “Democracy has brought about commitment and conviction.
It looks like it is coming from the community to show that they like inter-action with the leaders. Politics of consensus, building of politics of consultation, are ways of working together and bringing about greater success.
“I congratulate the honourable members of the assembly for their attitude (for playing their part) towards this and the way they have helped develop such an awareness in Sarawak.”
DEFENDING DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
Taib’s influence in the Legislative Assembly has led to kind words from his colleagues. In the December 2003 sitting, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu anak Numpang congratulated Taib for his caring attitude and capable leadership.
He said that Taib had turned Sarawak into a politically stable and progressive state where “multireligious and multi-racial people live harmoniously together in support of the government to implement countless development programmes which give great benefits to the people.”
Yet there is still a small section of people who refuse to accept the fact that, Sarawak without development, would not be as progressive as it is today.
Taib’s success in implementing greater development in Sarawak can be attributed to his courage in facing opposition and he singled out the aluminium project to be sited in Similajau in Bintulu:
`“If we were to argue about purely environmental matters, then it has only little relevance or partial relevance to decision-making of our country. Most of the biggest things that happen in the world do not happen in a simple way.
“If we were to follow this, I think Bintulu will remain like the 5,000 people town that it used to be and I am sure most of the new voters in Bintulu will not be coming to Bintulu.
“Environment cannot be an exclusive factor that will dictate our decision because if that were the case, we might as well decide today `let’s remain like we were during the Brooke time’.
I am sure none of the people will want to stay like the Brooke time. So, even aluminium, we will have to study the economic benefits of it, the employment benefit, the spin-off effect of it.” (Winding-up speech November 5, 2002)
The Chief Minister also cited the example of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Bintulu which had not only benefited the town but the nation as well.
“It has given rise to many other multiplier effects in our economy, economic activities ranging from construction to permanent trade, business opportunities… and (spending) billions of dollars in making Bintulu equipped with all the infrastructure that will attract people to invest.”
In arriving at the decision to develop the countr y, Taib said that he looked at “Three Bottom Lines” – economic, social and environmental effect.
He added: “There are risks and hazards all over the world but we have to balance and handle them and ask what the position of Sarawak is.”
SMART PARTNERSHIPS
Sarawak’s future hinges on the need for public-private sector partnership in business ventures, which require hundreds of millions of ringgit in investments. As such, the state government agencies would have to play a greater role to ensure that this policy is successfully implemented.
Taib told the Legislative Assembly in the June 23 sitting that the State government and corporate sector had in the past 20 years developed oil palm plantations and estates together with the people’s native customary land.
“We have successfully planted about half a million hectares of land under oil palm which generated export earnings of about RM1.3 billion last year. We are targeting to plant about one million hectares by the year 2010 which is expected to further increase the export earnings.
`“We have developed more than 1,000 hectares of land for aquaculture which has successfully brought about annual export earnings of RM50 million that contribute significantly to the total earnings of the fishery sector amounting to RM200 million.
“We have been very successful in the development and management of our timber industry and established ourselves as one of the leading players in the sector.
(To be continued)
