Effendi Makes A Comeback?

KUCHING:   Former Agriculture Minister Effendi Norwawi who was reportedly not interested in the state’s top post is now ready to contest in Balingian if Chief Minister Taib Mahmud vacates the seat.

Taib is Balingian assemblyman and has held the seat since 2001.

He is retiring on Feb 28 and will be succeeded by Special Functions Minister Adenan Satem.

In confirming rumours here,  Adenan, who will be the state’s fifth Chief Minister, said he had contacted Effendi a few days ago.

“Effendi is welcome to meet me anytime, we can discuss several matters like the role he can play in the new state administration,” he told reporters here yesterday.

Since 2010, Effendi’s name has been closely linked with Taib and the CM’s seat.   Effendi, a Melanau like Taib,  has served as minister under both the Mahathir and Abdullah administration and is seen as most capable to lead the state.

His reported resignation in July 2013 as chairman and executive director of Encorp Berhad, a public listed company which he founded, further fueled rumours of his comeback to mainstream politics.

But Effendi has consistently said that he has ‘retired’.

In 2011 however rumours were rife that he will be contesting in the Semop constituency, where he holds political sway.

But this eventually did not happen.

Effendi is part of the intrigue which has gripped Sarawak since the run-up to the 2011 election when mounting federal pressure for Taib to step down became a open fact.

Taib last Wednesday announced his resignation and named Adenan as his successor.

The surprise announcement came three days earlier than the scheduled date Feb 15 and was reportedly to pre-empt any other federal ‘bid’.

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had arrived on Thursday. Earlier in the week on Monday Umno vice president Zahid Hamidi who is also Home Minister had a closed door session with Taib in Kuching.

Prior to that two other Umno vice presidents Shafe Apdal and Hishamuddin Hussein had also said Umno had no intentions of entering Sarawak following Taib’s  call to Sarawak Barisan Nasional assemblymen and MPs to protect the state’s sovereignty at all cost.

Earlier this week it was also speculated that Taib’s son Mohamad Abu Bekir was among two other names that were being tossed for the Balingian seat.

Mahmud was tipped to step in where his brother Sulaiman, who was elected Kota Samarahan MP in the 2008 general election, had left off. Sulaiman went AWOL following his mother’s death in 2009.

Mahmud was tipped to contest in Bukit Sadong state seat but this bid was pre-empted when his ex wife filed for divorce settlement in the syariah court. The case is ongoing.

The other possible candidate for Balingian is reportedly former Sarawak Tourism Ministry’s permanent secretary Akit Sebli.

The latest development seems to affirm that Adenan is only a caretaker CM and that a ‘suitable’ candidate will replace him post the 2016 state elections.