THROUGH Sarawak’s own well-known, prolific author James Ritchie’s book “Abdul Taib Mahmud: 50 Years in the News”, readers can get a glimpse of some unpublicised yet significant political events in the State as well as the life of Sarawak’s 4th Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, 81, who has spent his good 50 years in politics to transform the State.
Excerpts from James book will be published by New Sarawak Tribune twice a week on Wednesday and Sunday.
Within a year of becoming State Minister of Development and Forestry, more challenges faced him. One of his most difficult tasks was to freeze all the forest licences to convince the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations that Sarawak wanted to practise the concept of sustainable logging.
Sarawak, with 12.3 million hectares of land, was covered by forests and there was a need to create Permanent Forest Estates (PFE) to carry out a system of selective felling in 25-year cycles as opposed to clear cutting.
To say that Taib was against all forms of logging was not true. He was for logging, if it could benefit the country and not the individual.
Just before attending a timber policy meeting with his Sabah counterparts in Jesselton, Taib announced that Sarawak planned to exploit 36,000 square miles of forest (more than half the size of the state) to ensure new manufacturing industries and to provide employment for the people.
All the time, at the back of his mind, the interest of Sarawak came first. Even though timber was Sarawak’s most important raw material, Taib was disturbed by the high rate of export of logs.
“We are at the mercy of the economic situation in our customer’s country and our logs provide jobs for another country’s young people when they should be providing jobs in factories here,” he commented.
At that time, the State had limited finance and limited staff while Malaysia as a whole did not have expert knowledge to draw up a proper forestry plan. So Taib felt that the best way to make a full investigation of the forest resources was to invite a real expert.
During the study, timber concessions were closed. The freeze which lasted eight years, infuriated a lot of people who were itching to get their hands on the profits that could be derived from timber.
“In those days, anyone who advocated the freezing of forest licences was asking for trouble, and it was not unnatural that I was the target,” said Taib who was painted as a bad boy.
If that was the perception of the people, Taib was more than willing to leave the scene. If not for the sake of the Government, then at least for unity within his party and Sarawak.
If there was any criticism, his opponents could direct it at him and not the Party Bumiputera (Bumiputera) of which he was secretary general. If the people did not believe he was sincere, he was prepared to be a gentleman and take his leave.
No one was more aware than Taib that disunity at this stage would only lead to further disintegration of the fragile Sarawak independence framework.
Taib, however, could not afford to allow the situation to deteriorate.
Many years later, Taib’s determination to implement a more development-friendly forest policy saw him turning to another international body for help.
This time, he invited the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) to continue with the study of the FAO-recommended policies of selective felling to ensure that there was room for sustainable logging and the State’s development needs.
As a result, the PFE was increased from 4.6 million hectares in the 1970s to 6.2 million hectares in the 1990s.
By increasing the hectarage of the PFE, this would ensure that more than half of the State’s inaccessible jungle would be demarcated as “permanent forests” which would technically be “preserved” for posterity.
CHASTISED FOR A SECOND TIME
On January 4, 1966, Taib told a press conference that BARJASA and PANAS would merge as one party after Hari Raya Puasa. Ningkan was aware that if this happened, then the new party would be a formidable force that could pose a threat to multi-racial SNAP.
Ningkan was obviously upset that Taib was still working on a formula to unite the native political parties into an all-native coalition. Five months later, the Chief Minister heard “rumours” that BARJASA and PESAKA were planning to present a no-confidence motion against him at the Council Negri (state legislative assembly) to be held soon. Ningkan’s sources had told him that the motion had been drafted in Kuala Lumpur and a signature campaign had started. As such, Taib was removed from the cabinet for a second time.
A Straits Times report by senior journalist Geoffrey Geldard on June 13, 1966 headlined, “Ningkan sacks Minister” reported the Chief Minister said in Kuching he had lost confidence in Taib and alleged that several rebels in the Sarawak Alliance were attempting to topple his government and suggested that some politicians “outside Sarawak” were involved.
“As you know, there is a crisis in the Sarawak Alliance. A rebel group within the Alliance has been plotting to topple the Government. It is clear that this was designed with the help of some people from outside Sarawak.
“My cabinet ministers and I are forced to take the decision to sack Inche Taib in order to prevent any trouble that may threaten the security of our state of Sarawak,” said Ningkan.
In response to Taib’s sacking, three state ministers – Penghulu Francis Umpau (PESAKA), Tajang Laing (PESAKA) and Awang Hipni (BARJASA) resigned from the cabinet. Jugah, who was the Minister of Sarawak Affairs in the Malaysian cabinet, called on Ningkan to resign.
This was followed by a telegram from PESAKA and BARJASA Council Negri members, signed by MP for Kapit Penghulu Jinggut anak Atan, demanding Ningkan’s resignation. For the second time, about 20 Council Negri members met the Prime Minister and Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur to file their complaint.
Unhappy with Ningkan’s inability to control the Sarawak Alliance, Tunku Abdul Rahman announced in Kuala Lumpur that he had received a letter signed by the majority of the Council Negri members stating they had lost confidence in Ningkan.
Following an emergency meeting with the Governor of Sarawak Tun Abang Haji Openg who called on him at the residency, Tunku said:
“We have come to the conclusion – from the number of charges made against the present holder of the post of Chief Minister – that he has not discharged his duties to the credit of the Alliance Party.
“The majority of the Council Negri members have indicated in a letter that they will not support him anymore. They demand his immediate resignation.” (Straits Times, June 15, 1966)
A PESAKA leader, Penghulu Tawi Sli, was appointed to replace Ningkan on June 17. Tunku said that it was his prerogative to appoint Tawi Sli as Chief Minister as he was head of the Alliance Party. When asked if he was sacking Ningkan, Tunku said: “No, I do not sack. The members of the Council Negri came to see me with a variety of charges against the Chief Minister.
“These charges clearly indicate he no longer enjoys their confidence and support.” (Straits Times, June 15, 1966)
On June 22, a new two-party cabinet comprising PESAKA and BARJASA was sworn in by the Governor in Kuching. Among the six “new” cabinet ministers were Taib who was given the portfolio of Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Francis Umpau, Tajang Laing, Awang Hipni and Abang Abdul Rahim. Although SNAP, PANAS and SCA agreed to remain in the coalition, they refused cabinet posts in protest.
Ningkan refused to accept the decision and began exploring the legality of the action – he filed a writ in the High Court against the Sarawak Governor, Penghulu Tawi Sli and the state cabinet ministers.
On September 23, 1966 a motion of no confidence was directed against Ningkan at the Council Negri sitting in Kuching as a crowd of about 1,000 gathered outside. Among the 22 Sarawak Alliance members who supported the motion was Taib.
(To be continued)
