Belligerent Sarawak CM Ready To Duel

At an advancing age when most men would be 'play fighting' with their grandchildren, old man Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud has no such intentions and is willing to take the fight to his detractors and accusers. He has been fingered by those in the know as a person with a history of rampant corruption and extreme greed which has been a motivating force in his long and apparently never ending inning in a venal administration. An administration which is famed for its remarkable dishonesty and mercenary approach to the managing of the state government. Happily and conveniently ensconced in distant Kuching, away from the distracted eyes of KL, he has been reputed to be the prime moving force of everything that is wrong with that potentially wealthy state.

But this pugnacious oldster is not amused with those who speak in such undignified terms about him and made it clear that he would fight them and advised others in Barisan to do the same. In a parliamentary seminar ironically named 'The Role Of Political Leaders: Integrity And Development,' he urged backbenchers to "be brave to fight any smear campaign. Don't fear. We have to fight it out. I will show you that we can protect ourselves through the legal system.''

Taib said politicians were today subjected to smear campaigns from their political rivals besides meeting demands from their electorate. "So, don't be afraid. You must have a conviction to do what you have planned to do and do it according to your conscience," he added. (CONSCIENCE, mind you! And that too from Taib!!)

An apparently worried Taib further said that "even though the government had done a lot for the people, they could still switch their support to the opposition if they failed to understand that the developments were for their benefit." Actually switching support normally happens when the people either know or strongly suspect that some highly placed crooks in the government are siphoning off the lion's share of state funds and promoting their family and cronies to the detriment of the taxpayer and honest citizen. An average person doesn't simply change parties as he would his socks, even though both may be equally dirtied and soiled. It also stands to reason that serious indiscretion and massive looting must have taken place before a senior politician starts to lose sleep over loyalists switching sides. Guilty conscience perhaps?

To add insult to injury Taib gave this parting advice to the bunch of Barisan billionaire wannabes; he said (in) a strong political leadership, integrity and development were inseparable!!! HE said it, not me. I wonder if anyone would agree with his 'valuable' advice?
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