It has not been business as usual since Tan Sri Adenan Satem took over as the Chief Minister of Sarawak. He has continued to surprise Sarawakians for wanting to change the way things are done and for trying to do the right thing.
IT was a day before Tan Sri Adenan Satem would deliver his “report card” of sorts at the state assembly sitting when The Star team sat down with the Sarawak Chief Minister for an interview.
It was the last assembly sitting given that the state election is expected by March.The Star was the only newspaper from the peninsula that Adenan gave an exclusive interview to when he came into office and he is repeating the favour as he prepares to seek his own mandate.
Just minutes before the interview, Adenan had received a delegation from a Japanese corporation who presented him with an impressive 3 metre-long painting of wild horses.
The Star team brought along a more modest souvenir – a framed photograph of a mellow and smiling Adenan snapped by our Kuching-based photographer Zulazhar Sheblee. Adenan is not a natural smiler but the picture somehow managed to bring out a sunny smile from him.
Man of the moment: Adenan is asking the voters for five more years to carry out his policies. The Chief Minister (far right) is seen here at his office at the Sarawak legislative assembly building with ‘The Star’ team (clockwise from left) Philip Golingai, P.K. Katharason, Sharon Ling, Joceline Tan and Patrick Chin. — Zulazhar Sheblee/The Star
Below are excerpts of the interview during which he spoke of his hopes and dream for Sarawak, shared snippets of his personal life and relationship with his larger-than-life predecessor and, of course, the state election which will be the biggest challenge of his political career.
You are famous for your “poker face”.
I have only one face, God created me like this, so be it. At least, I am not two-faced. But you must be able to laugh at yourself, you can’t have a serious face all the time.
Do you let yourself go like hoohoohaha at home?
With my grandchildren, yes. There are 13 of them, I just love them. I was pretty serious when young, did very well at school, the teachers complained that I read more books than I needed to. I notice some of my grandchildren take after me. One particular grandchild often takes a book and sits by himself in the corner.
Just a few more months to go before the state election.
I have been elected 10 times. Elections are not new to me. Of course, I was very nervous on my first election, I was only 34 then. This will be my 11th, I’m taking it in my own stride. I have to be careful but I have confidence I can carry the day.
What about the disputes between your component parties?
The problem will be solved either way before nomination day. It does not affect PBB or PRS, only SUPP and SPDP. My priority is winnability.
I don’t look forward to multi-cornered fights because the vote will be split and the opposition will win even if they get only 35% of the vote.
I will encourage the parties to agree on the candidates and seats and give full support to them.
In the old days, (multi-cornered fights) didn’t really matter because the third candidate would be a stupid independent who would lose his deposit. That is not the case now, you have DAP and PKR which are established political parties. They will also avoid multi-cornered fights to fight BN one-to-one.
Your stand on issues like the use of the kalimah Allah and English. Is it only for the election?
I have always been liberal and open-minded. I believe in people being given free expression to what they believe in. It’s always been my approach in life, election or no election. I don’t mind being called a liberal.
You have changed after your heart attack.
I value life more than I used to because I was near death. I had called all my children and family, they came from the UK and Perth. When you call your family, you know what that means. But God is great. This is not a gimmick. If I am popular, it’s because my policies are resonant with what the people feel. That’s what I believe in anyway.
Peninsular issues that you have to tackle in the election?
Religion and cultural differences are not issues in Sarawak, never been an issue. We are a diverse people but we are united. I have lived here for 70 years, I have yet to find people with extreme differences. That’s why I don’t like extremists and bigots to come over here because they spread poison.
Sarawakians reject peninsular parties like Umno yet they accept DAP and PKR.
I cannot deny there is some provincialism. After all, we are geographically separated by the sea and our historical experiences are quite different.
Why Umno is not acceptable here – when we talk about Bumiputera in Sarawak, we are talking about Malay, Melanau, Bidayu and 30 over tribes. In Semenanjung, Bumiputera means 99% Malay. When some people tried to bring Umno here, the candidates lost their deposit. It’s not that we don’t like Umno, but there is already Umno in Sarawak except the name is different.
We don’t want the Malays in Sarawak who are only a quarter of the population to be isolated from the rest. As a minority, we must get along with the other Bumiputera and we have got along well all these years.
But if Sarawakians reject parties like Umno, they should also reject DAP, PKR, PAS. These are west Malaysia-based parties. Who knows better about administrating Sarawak than Sarawakians.
Chinese trend towards DAP?
DAP beat SUPP the last election for so many reasons. If SUPP were to change itself, adopt better polices, perhaps the Chinese will come back. But they have to change their approach, adapt to the times. As long as they are under the control of old school thinking, they will be rejected especially by the Chinese.
But we are not writing off Chinese support. I believe the Chinese have enough wisdom to see what is right or wrong, what can or cannot be done.
How are things with Governor Tun Taib Mahmud?
He has more time now, he is more relaxed and he likes to travel, which is good. You don’t expect him to sit in the Astana twiddling his thumbs. He has been an active man, he cannot just retire and do nothing.
We came from the same university. In my time, my generation looked on him as idol, a beacon on a hill. I want to do better than my predecessor and I don’t think he will be jealous. He will be very happy if I do better than him.
When he asked me to succeed him, he told me, you make your own policy, you do what you think is right. He gave me the freedom. He told me, you are the Chief Minister, you are responsible, if you ask for advice, I will advise. But I will not interfere in what you do and I will not tell you what to do. He has kept that promise so far. He is not like Dr Mahathir, far from it.
No one pulling the strings behind you?
There are always these accusations. He (Taib) had a very bad experience with his uncle (who tried to interfere in Taib’s administration). I’m sure I will not have that experience. He does not interfere in our political affairs, that is the main thing. We see each other at least once a week, before the cabinet meetings. I brief him, we compare notes on what people say of us. If someone sells his name I ask him. That way, people cannot mess with us.
You are not a seat warmer?
I have been here nearly two years. God willing, we will win the state election and I will be sitting here seven years. Don’t you think seven years is too long to be warming a seat? I don’t deny I have a heart problem, I have a pacemaker here (tapping his right chest). But God is great, it makes me stronger.
Your political style?
I believe in one thing. Whatever you do, do it well, whether as Chief Minister of Sarawak, Prime Minister of Malaysia or the road sweeper. If you think you cannot do it well, then don’t do it. That’s always been my philosophy. I am not a businessman I don’t know much about business unlike my older brother who would make a bad politician but is a good businessman. So knowing what you can do and cannot do is important.
Your English policy?
You cannot ignore the elephant in the room. It is not only the language of the Anglo Saxons living in England. It’s an international language of communication, diplomacy and science, of technology. With all due respect, Bahasa Malaysia is somewhat limited.
Bahasa Malaysia will be the first language for Malaysia. There is no harm studying a second language and being proficient. Malaysians will be better if they are bilingual or trilingual – mother tongue, Bahasa Malaysia and English.
In Sarawak, any communication between government departments can be Bahasa Malaysia or English. I am trying to draw up a programme with Ministry of Education on how to popularise the use of English. Many graduates are unemployed or even unemployable because they are not proficient in English. Sorry to say it, but that’s the reality.
You took the corruption bull by the horns.
I don’t want to be in a state of denial, there is corruption in this country, otherwise you won’t have people being convicted in court. But don’t expect me to perform miracles. Just because people take a pledge not to be corrupt doesn’t mean the problem is solved. But it’s a start to solving the problem.
The second is prevention especially in the timber industry. We have a campaign against illegal logging, it’s less rampant now. I brought the MACC with me, I called a few thousand logging officers and agencies and right to their face, I told them some of you are corrupt – not all but some.
Don’t expect us to solve it overnight, Sarawak is so big. But 36 saw mills have closed down because there is no more illegal timber. My Cabinet has supported me on this but they do not go on top of the roof and go, I support Adenan. They do in their own way.
You are the singing Chief Minister.
They used to call me Elvis in my younger days but no, I cannot do the Elvis swivel. We had a band when I was 17 or 18, we called it the Vagabonds. I played guitar and keyboard but I have forgotten it all.
These days, I exploit my singing for charity. People want to hear the CM sing, so I say okay, but for the sake of charity. I think I have raised nearly RM1mil. But sorry, I am old-fashioned. Modern music for me is Elvis, Cliff Richard and some country music like the Everly Brothers.
How do you unwind?
I like nature programmes especially by David Attenborough. What he has done is make us look and see, hear and listen. Most people look but don’t see, hear but don’t listen.
I used to like going to wild and lonely places with a book in hand. That’s why I go fishing. Fishing tests my patience and that is when I do my thinking. In my younger days, I liked hunting, we could hunt for mousedeer up and down the hills and camp by the river side.
And music, of course. Otherwise no other vices. I also love my wife’s cooking but that is not the only reason I married her.
Those banned from Sarawak are mainly opposition politicians?
They know why they were banned. It’s not only the opposition, we have also banned (Perkasa president Datuk) Ibrahim Ali and Rithuan Tee Abdullah.
Why do you call people from the peninsula “orang Malaya”?
My generation knew Malaysia as Persekutuan Tanah Melayu or Malaya for short. It’s not meant to be derogatory, just more convenient than to say orang dari semenanjung. When I referred to some federal policies as stupid, I’m referring to policies not the people.
Your wish for this election?
We are in the business of elections to win. My hope is to win by a landslide and for there to be stability in the country. We have proven that we can bring stability especially since the 1970s, unlike what is going on in semenanjung now. I don’t think we want to follow that road. We want Sarawak to be a haven for political stability and, economically, to catch up with the rest of the country.
Your message to the voters?
Give me five more years, there is so much to do in the years ahead. Sarawak is comparatively backward compared to semenanjung, we have so much catching-up to do. In the last two years, we have made about 50 decisions – lowered electricity tariffs, abolished tolls, reduced ferry charges, infrastructure including the Trans-Borneo highway. If we can do this in two years, why not five more years to finish the work? That is my plea. If after five years I am no good, kick me out. I would be happy to retire.
Your dream for Sarawak?
I hope it’s not a nightmare. I just want to leave the world a little bit better than what it was like when I first came in. Perhaps I am idealistic but that’s what I believe in. I dream of a day when there will be less suffering, less poverty, less ignorance in Sarawak. Our real enemy is not each other but poverty, ignorance and disease.
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