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CM to step down by ‘end of the month’ BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » Sabah - New 2 Borneo

CM to step down by ‘end of the month’

Posted: 09 Feb 2014 12:08 AM PST

KUCHING: Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud today confirmed he will step down as chief minister by "the end of the month".

But the PBB president said he would not name his successor tomorrow as promised earlier because there were protocols to be followed.

"(Among others) I have got to see the governor first," he said when asked by reporters covering his meeting with state BN Supreme Council members and BN elected representatives at PBB Headquarters this morning.

Asked to confirm whether it was true that he would step down by the end of the month, he quipped: " Ya, I think so, so that I can get full salary for February."

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Fadillah: Government to do more for motorsports community

Posted: 08 Feb 2014 12:02 PM PST

KUCHING: Youths who are into motorsport-related activities are urged to maintain a close relationship with the government to ensure their needs and requests are met.

Works Minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof said the government was looking into providing the much needed facilities for the motorsports fraternity.

"We know that the talents, especially in motorsports, that we have are capable of bringing fame and glory to the state," he said at the Youth Motorsports Carnival at the compound of Masja here yesterday.

"But don't take your game to the streets."

Fadillah also advised the motorsports community to coordinate with each other and to hold frequent meetings with the relevant government bodies to ensure their voice is heard.

On the facilities at the circuit located at the parking lot of Stadium Sarawak, he said it would be upgraded.

"The available facilities should be put to good use and we will do the necessary steps to ensure that ample facilities are allocated to the motorsports community in the state."

He also advised the youths to take the sports seriously, citing examples of several well-known national riders who started on the streets before turning professional.

Organised by the Youth and Sports Department, the carnival, among others featured a motorbike drag race, autoshow, car booth sale and exhibition from various government agencies.

Also present was the Datuk Bandar of Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) Datuk Abang Abdul Wahap Julai.

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Mandate given, Taib to decide

Posted: 08 Feb 2014 12:02 PM PST

by Joanna Yap, Wilfred Pilo, Lian Cheng & Peter Sibon, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on February 9, 2014, Sunday

Chief Minister to choose successor, decide date of retirement; needs time before announcement

KUCHING: Pehin Seri Abdul Taib Mahmud did not announce his retirement as widely anticipated yesterday but gave ample indications that he has decided to retire very soon.

Emerging from a Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Supreme Council Meeting, held at the party headquarters here yesterday, the 78-year-old Chief Minister said he would make an overall announcement on his retirement including his successor and the date of his retirement soon.

"Two days. I want to meditate on a few things and I will make an overall announcement, give me two days," he said when responding to media's questions.

PBB permanent chairman Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar later told a press conference that the supreme council and the party's caucus unanimously passed a resolution during the meeting to give Taib the mandate to nominate his own successor.

The resolution was proposed by the party's Information Chief Tan Sri Datuk Amar Adenan Satem and seconded by deputy president Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg

Asfia said that he chaired the meeting as permanent chairman of the party to decide who would be the next chief minister as Taib had left the room during the discussion on his successor.

After some deliberation the supreme council and the caucus resolved to ask the Chief Minister to make the choice.

"The supreme council together with the caucus of the party unanimously gave the mandate to the Chief Minister and president of PBB to nominate a successor of his choice to be the next Chief Minister of Sarawak," said Asfia.

He added that the succession issue would be settled before the Chief Minister announced his resignation "within a reasonable time frame".

Asked if Taib would step down as Chief Minister this month, Asfia said the possibility could not be precluded.

He stressed that whoever was nominated by Taib as his successor would receive the full support of the party's supreme council and the caucus.

Asfia was coy when questioned by reporters on the number of potential successors but hinted that the choice was "very narrow – possibly three names".

"We have men of calibre in PBB and within the team; we can be rest assured the state is in safe hands.  And the Head of State can even steady the hand of the chief executive," he said, allaying fears of instability in the wake of Taib's retirement.

Asfia, also revealed that the party's supreme council also decided to recommend Taib to be the next  Head of State (TYT) in view of his "outstanding sterling contribution" to the state and nation after the term of Tun Datuk Patinggi Abang Muhammad Salahuddin expires on Feb 28.

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Search for missing tugboat worker in Baram continues

Posted: 08 Feb 2014 11:59 AM PST

MARUDI: Search-and-rescue (SAR) operation is still on to locate tugboat crew Emang Jau, who went missing while taking a bath in Baram River with a friend on Friday morning.

The victim, a 20-year-old Kenyah from Long Puak in Central Baram, worked for a timber company here.

The incident unfolded at about 9am near Kampung Dagang when Emang went for a bath with his friend Enggan Bilong.

It is understood that the spot where they took their bath was about 30 feet deep and the river current was strong then.

Marudi Fire and Rescue Department chief Iskandar Aus said when Enggan realised that Emang was nowhere to be found, he immediately lodged a police report.

Iskandar said a SAR operation, comprising, among others, police personnel and firemen, was launched before noon, and stopped at about 6pm due to darkness.

The operation resumed yesterday morning, but as at press time, Emang had yet to be found.

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17-year-old clobbered over RM90

Posted: 08 Feb 2014 11:59 AM PST

by Gary Adit, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on February 9, 2014, Sunday

KUCHING: A teenager was left with a gash on the back of his head when two strangers smashed a bottle on him before robbing him of his wallet.

The incident happened around 9.30pm on Friday at a commercial centre in Pending when the 17-year-old was walking back to his workplace after buying a burger from a fast food outlet.

According to him, two men on a motorcycle pulled up next to him and asked for a cigarette, but he ignored their request and continued walking as he sensed the pair was up to no good.

He added that he had only taken a few steps when one of the men ran up to him and smashed a glass bottle over his head before grabbing his wallet – containing about RM90 – from his pocket.

The robbers then sped off from the scene while the teen made his way to the police station to lodge a report before seeking treatment at the Sarawak General Hospital.

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Youth nabbed within hours of stealing handphone from neighbour’s house

Posted: 08 Feb 2014 11:56 AM PST

Posted on February 9, 2014, Sunday

KUCHING: A youth was apprehended yesterday within hours of stealing a mobile phone from his neighbour's house in Kampung Tabuan Melayu.

Acting on a report lodged, a team from the district police headquarters in Simpang Tiga went to the 24-year-old suspect's house and arrested him without incident.

It is said that the neighbour discovered the theft around noon and suspected the youth's involvement after being told by nearby residents that the latter had been seen entering the house earlier in the morning.

Following the youth's arrest around 3pm, police searched his house and managed to recover the stolen device.

The suspect is currently being detained under Section 380 of the Penal Code pending further investigation.

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