By Shannon Teoh April 16, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 — Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) won all 35 seats it contested in today’s polls but its president Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud will still take the fall for Sarawak Barisan Nasional’s (BN) loss of 16 seats.
Coalition chief Datuk Seri Najib Razak said in a press conference tonight that BN will stick to the pledge that the Sarawak chief minister would step down after the state election.
“When the time is right, we will fulfil the promise,” the prime minister said when asked about whether Abdul Taib would be ending his 30-year term. He did not specify the timing for Taib’s resignation.
Opposition parties improved on their 2006 tally of eight by winning 15 seats this time around.
It was also reported that BN saw its comfortable popular majority of 62.93 per cent slashed to just 55.24 per cent, a clear warning that the state could no longer be considered a fixed deposit in future elections.
Najib also said that he would use the results of the Sarawak election as a guide for when to call federal polls which are expected to be held within a year.
Analysts have said that the results would translate into further losses for BN in Parliament if Abdul Taib is not forced to quit before a general election.
During the 10-day campaign, the Umno president had pledged that Abdul Taib would step down after the polls.
However, the 74-year-old Abdul Taib immediately responded by insisting that he would only resign “after a few years.”