CM to keep Pelagus rep

Posted on February 14, 2011, Monday

KUCHING: Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said he planned to keep Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office Larry Sng around for some time.

FOR PROSPERITY: (from left) Hanifah, Jabu, Chan, Taib, Ragad, Catherine and Empiang tossing the ‘yee sang’ during the Chinese New Year Open House yesterday. – Photo by Jonathan Bullet

The state Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman said Sng is useful to the government and loyal to the BN.

“I can still keep him because he’s a very useful fellow. He works very well, and his loyalty to BN is unquestionable,” he told reporters yesterday.

Taib was met at the Chinese New Year Open House organised by Kuching City South Council (MBKS) and CATS FM at Dewan Masyarakat in Padungan here.

He was responding to a query on whether the BN has decided on Sng’s status as he is still partyless after being sacked by Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) a few years ago. Sng was said to have applied to join BN as a direct member and direct candidate in the coming state election. Talks are rife that his application was rejected during last Friday’s BN supreme council meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

According to a BN leader who did not want to be named, the Pelagus assemblyman is in a unique position where his former party PRS does not want him but the state government still does.

Yesterday, Taib was accompanied by his wife Puan Sri Ragad Waleed Alkurdi Taib, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang and wife Datin Patinggi Dato Sri Empiang Jabu.

Also present were event chairperson and CATS FM executive director Datin Hanifah Taib Alsree, MBKS mayor James Chan and wife Catherine Sng.

On the issue that Mayor James Chan might be aiming to be a politician, Taib said that would be up to Chan.
But when pressed further he said: “I don’t know but so far he doesn’t show any interest in politics.”
On another matter, Taib spoke on how smaller local governments need to focus on social and cultural leadership because they are the ones nearest to the ground.

“Society is always in a flux in the presence of rapid change. We have to provide people with an avenue to find out how they can participate and serve society in the way they think they are best at according to their talent and leadership patterns,” he said.

He encouraged budding leaders to step up and serve the city.

“Kuching has a lot of clever, professional people with leadership qualities that can get other people to come together. And they want to serve.”

Taib pointed out that Kuching is growing fast and yet most neighbours don’t even know each other. He urged people to be imaginative and create opportunities for neighbours to make friends.

In his speech, MBKS mayor James Chan said that the event was organised to bring companies and non-governmental organisations to work with the council and hold an open house for the people of Kuching.

“Through this unique open house, we hope to strengthen the neighourhood spirit, tolerance amongst people in our multi-racial and cultural society as well as foster and strengthen bonds amongst family members and friends,” he said.

sumber http://www.theborneopost.com/?attachment_id=93230