Who will ‘fill the big shoes’?

WHILE Sarawakians mourn the loss of their chief minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem, who died on Wednesday after a heart attack, questions on whether an acting chief minister would be appointed and who would fill the coveted post have come to fore.

As Adenan had stressed when he named his Cabinet line-up after the state election last year, all three deputy ministers – Datuk Douglas Ungga Embas, Tan Sri James Jemut Masing and Datuk Abang Johari Openg – were equal in rank and there is no official order in their positions, unlike in the past when the deputy chief ministers were designated as DCM1 (deputy chief minister 1), DCM2 and DCM3.

Unofficially, Douglas has been referred to as DCM1, James Masing as DCM2 and Abang Johari as DCM3 by virtue of the order of their names being announced when Adenan revealed his Cabinet, Sin Chew Daily reported yesterday.

This is despite Adenan subsequently reemphasising that there was no differentiation such as DCM1, DCM2 and DCM3 among his three deputies.

In terms of seniority in their respective parties, Douglas is first deputy president of the biggest component party of the state Barisan Nasional, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), followed by Abang Johari as second deputy president whereas James Masing is the president of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS).

By convention, Douglas will become the acting president following Adenan’s death and the PBB president is the natural choice to fill the CM’s post.

Going by this unwritten rule, Douglas is the first choice to succeed Adenan.

However, the answer to the question of the next chief minister will have to wait until the state Barisan Nasional meets to make a decision.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister’s Office has dismissed as mere rumour that Douglas has been designated as the next chief minister.