Statesman like no other

> Endeared for his ‘Adenan factor’, late chief minister is remembered with affinity

KUCHING: Sarawak never had a leader who made such a great impact on the state and its people like chief minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem, who died on Wednesday just two weeks shy of his 73rd birthday.

His health had been of uppermost concern to virtually all Sarawakians for quite some time because his “I am the chief minister for all” leadership style and easy-going personality have made a stark difference for the better in this largely rural state still very much lacking in basic infrastructure.

This was acknowledged by his predecessor, Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud, Malaysia’s longest-serving head of a state government and who personally picked Adenan as his successor when he stepped down in February 2014 after 33 years in office.

“Adenan served the state well and sincerely. He leaves a government as good as ever, more than what I inherited before,” said Taib at the Sarawak Heart Centre in Kota Samarahan where Adenan died.

It was the “Adenan factor” and “Adenan fever” that endeared him to the people from all walks of life in a state where race or religion was never an issue, let alone a divisive factor.

Adenan had wanted very much to serve only five more years to carry out his various plans to develop the state and transform its rural landscape, with such efforts being boosted by the ongoing construction of the Pan-Borneo Highway.

He had a way with words, a trait which perhaps emanated from his journalistic background. His first job was as a reporter with The Sarawak Tribune, the state’s oldest newspaper.

He then read law and graduated in Brisbane, Australia, and later became a magistrate here before going into politics.

His sense of humour at times raised eyebrows but the listener, from the prime minister to ordinary folk, took it positively because they knew he meant well.

In the 2011 state election under Taib, Barisan Nasional (BN) lost many Chinese constituencies to DAP but Adenan’s policies endeared himself to the Chinese and at last year’s polls, BN won seven of the seats it lost previously.

One of the most memorable pro-Chinese remarks he made that went viral on social media was: “The Chinese are not ‘pendatang’ (immigrants) in Malaysia. If some of my friends in Peninsular Malaysia call them ‘pendatang’, go to hell with them.”

Adenan had no qualms about making toxic remarks against the sidelining of English in the education system, describing such a policy as “stupid”.

The Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC), which has topped media headlines of late for a spate of high-profile arrests of public officials, rarely pay tribute to politicians.

But of Adenan, MACC chief commissioner Datuk Dzulkifli Ahmad said: “Adenan was known as a leader with integrity and had shown seriousness in raising awareness of and preventing corruption.”

1Malaysia Foundation chairman Dr Chanda Muzaffar described Adenan as a courageous champion of Malaysian unity and one who realised that to forge solidarity and cohesiveness among all Malaysians, one had to adopt and implement policies just and fair to everyone.

“He was an ardent believer in inclusiveness. He was an uncompromising opponent of bigotry and chauvinism,” he added. – Bernama