PRESS DIGEST: Eyes on vacant seat
WITH Datuk Abang Johari Abang Openg assuming the chief minister's post, all eyes are now on who is going to fill the deputy chief minister's (DCM) post he left vacant.
Despite the strong desire of the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) and the Chinese community to see party chief Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hien being appointed a DCM, voices are coming from within Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) that the post should be reserved for the party.
It is learnt that Abang Johari will announce a minor reshuffle of the state Cabinet on Thursday and talk is that the vacant DCM's post is as good as in the bag for state Resource Planning and Environment Minister II Datuk Awang Tengah Ali Hassan, who was earlier tipped to be a top contender for the CM's post.
If Awang Tengah is indeed promoted to DCM, the hope by SUPP and the Chinese community for a Chinese DCM will again be dashed, Sin Chew Daily reported today.
With the Chinese community banking their Chinese DCM hope on Abang Johari, it is interesting to note how the newly minted CM is going to appease his men without neglecting the feelings of the Chinese.
Some political analysts said to calm PBB grassroots and to reward Awang Tengah for his support, Abang Johari would most likely appoint the former as DCM and offer one more state minister's post to SUPP as consolation.
Assoc Prof Jeniri Amir of Univeristi Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) told Sin Chew that Awang Tengah is the forerunner for the DCM post left behind by Abang Johari.
He also believes the vacant post will be filled quickly.
He explained that Abang Johari would most likely follow his predecessor Tan Sri Adenan Satem's style of appointing a senior leader from his party to fill the post, and party senior vice-president Awang Tengah fits the bill be it seniority, education qualification or political background.
Awang Tengah joined politics in 1987 and it was Abang Johari who brought him into PBB.
In term of seniority, Awang Tengah is just a year junior to DCM Datuk Douglas Unggah Embas, who joined the party in 1986.
On the wishes of the Chinese community in the state, Jeniri declined to predict whether there would be a Chinese DCM, saying, "no one knows how the new CM thinks".