Minor PBB reshuffle as Jabu steps down
Published on: Sunday, January 22, 2017
Kuching: Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) underwent a minor leadership change Saturday. Datuk Amar Abang Johari Abang Openg, who succeeded Tan Sri Adenan Satem as both Sarawak Chief Minister and the new party leader, gained the full endorsement from the PBB supreme council at its first meeting Saturday after Adenan's death on January 11. Abang Johari said he believed the other three component parties of the State Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition will also give their support towards his leadership of the State Government. ADVERTISEMENT "With this solid support for me, I believe we can move forward for the development of the State and the interest of the people," he told reporters after chairing the PBB supreme council meeting here. Abang Johari also announced that Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang was stepping down as PBB deputy president. Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas will take over as acting deputy president from the party's Pesaka wing. Jabu has been deputy president for the Pesaka Wing since 1974, the same time he was appointed Deputy Chief Minister until 2016. He did not contest in the May 7 state election. ADVERTISEMENT Uggah, who was elected PBB senior vice-president, took over from Jabu as Deputy Chief Minister last year. Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, who is also Sarawak's Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment, is promoted from PBB senior vice-president to acting deputy president, taking over the party's Bumiputera wing from Abang Johari.
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Abang Johari said the party will hold a special convention in May to pay tribute to the past leaders of the party. He also said the party has decided to postpone naming its candidate for the Tanjong Dato by-election scheduled for February 18. "We will announce the name of the candidate at a later date," he said. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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He added that PBB had three to four potential candidates and needed time to finalise its choice. Tanjung Datu state seat had been held by Adenan since May 2006 until his January 11 death from heart failure.