Adenan (seated, centre) speaking to the media during a press conference at his office in the DUN Complex in Kuching after the swearing-in ceremony for his new cabinet line-up. Seated from left are Wong, Uggah, Masing and Abang Johari. Seen standing from second left are Fatimah, Awang Tengah, Dr Rundi, Manyin, Dr Sim and State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohd Morshidi Abdul Ghani.
KUCHING: With appointment of its full list of ministers and allocation of their portfolios, the state government will get down to work immediately.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem said now that the people had made their choice, it would be the time for the state Barisan Nasional (BN) government to fulfill all the promises it made during its campaign.
“Now the time for talk is over. Time for action is now,” he said.
The chief minister stressed that his government would stick to rural transformation as its top priority and that his cabinet would be geared towards achieving that target.
“We have a strong line-up with ministers who are willing and capable of working for the people, and they have been proven,” he said at a packed news conference held after the swearing-in ceremony for all the ministers at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Complex here yesterday,
On the increase of one more minister from the previous line-up, Adenan explained that he needed an expanded cabinet to cope with the rising demand
and bigger government responsibility due to the increase in the number of DUN seats from 71 to 82.
“I need all the help I can get. We have increased our number of DUN from 71 to 82. I think that justifies the increase in the number of ministers.
“It is not like the old days when we needed only five ministers. We need to adjust and respond to meet the demand,” he pointed out.
On Chinese representation in his cabinet, Adenan said he was not satisfied with the eight seats won by the BN from the possible 16 seats, but would have to make do for the time being.
When asked about the absence of a Chinese deputy chief minister in his cabinet, the chief minister clarified that he did not make any promise to appoint a Chinese for the post.
He also pointed out that the state BN did not win all the Chinese-majority seats to warrant the appointment of a Chinese deputy chief minister.
“I did not make any promise to appoint a Chinese deputy chief minister,” he reiterated.
However, he pointed out that if SUPP and UPP had won all 16 Chinese-majority seats, he would have given the Chinese community a deputy chief minister’s post just like the time of Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan when SUPP won all the 19 Chinese-majority seats.
Adenan also confirmed that Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) had received applications from six direct BN candidates who are still partyless but the party had put the matter on hold.
On fears that if the six were accepted by PBB it would have enough seats to form a simple majority government on its own, Adenan assured that his party would not lord over other component parties and that was reflected in his cabinet.
“I don’t want a government with simple majority. I want a government with a big majority and I want to include everyone in that government.”
He said presently, there was no single party in Sarawak which could represent all communities and inevitably, all BN component parties had to work together to form a government where every community had its representation.
“Don’t read as if now that we have 42 state assemblymen, we will lord it over the others. No, we will not. If I want to lord it over the others, I would appoint all ministers from PBB.
“Look at the racial breakup (of the cabinet) — we have Chinese, Melanau, Iban, Bidayuh, and Orang Ulu as assistant ministers.”
There was no surprise in the appointment of the three deputy chief ministers and the two newcomers to the cabinet.
Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Tan Sri Dr James Masing and Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg are the new deputy chief ministers; Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi Utom has been promoted to becoming a full minister; while Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian has joined the cabinet as a first-timer.
Adenan said he and Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh remained as Finance Minister and Second Finance Minister, respectively.
Besides Finance Ministry, Adenan would also be heading the Ministry of Resource Planning and Environment with Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan as the second minister.
“Deputy Chief Minister Uggah is also Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture and Rural Economy; Deputy Chief Minister Masing is also Minister of Infrastructure Development and Transportation; and Deputy Chief Minister Abang Johari Tun Openg is also Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture and Minister of Housing and Urbanisation,” Adenan announced.
The ministers took their oath of office in front of Head of State
Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.
SUPP president Dr Sim was appointed Minister of Local Government, which was formerly known as the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development.
Adenan continued with the list by announcing that Dato Sri Michael Manyin been appointed as Minister of Youth, Sports and Solidarity; Awang Tengah, also Minister of Industrial and Entrepreneur Development, Trade and Investment; Datuk Fatimah Abdullah as Minister of Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing and Dr Rundi as Minister of Public Utilities.