HAVING GOT RID OF DATOK ONN MAHMUD OUT OF SARAWAK AND DATO ARIP DEAD AND BURIED, WHO THEN WITHIN THE MAHMUD FAMILY MIGHT POSE A SERIOUS COMPETITION TO ROBERT GENEID’S STRANGLE HOLD ON TAIB? ROBERT SAW COMPETITION IN THE PERSONS OF SULAIMAN RAHMAN TAIB. EARLIER THAN SULAIMAN WAS A FEMALE MEMBER OF THE MAHMUD FAMILY, DATIN AISHAH. SHE WAS MADE BY TAIB ONE OF THE TRUSTEE’S FOR PBB (PARTI BERSATU BUMIPUTERA). STRANGELY NEITHER AISHAH NOR THE PBB BENEFITED FROM THAT RELATIONSHIP. IN FACT SHE WAS MANAGING PBB KUCHING OFFICE ON A VERY TIGHT AND LEAN BUDGET. SHE NEVER GOT A SINGLE TIMBER CONCESSION OR A SINGLE OIL PALM PLANTATION OR A SINGLE CONTRACT FROM THE STATE OR TAIB.
ON BEHALF OF PBB SHE WAS ALLOCATED A SMALL PIECE OF LAND IN BINTULU TO DEVELOP INTO RESORT APARTMENTS. THE PROJECT WAS GOING WELL UNTIL IN 1996 WHEN ROBERT AND WIFE WHO AT THAT TIME TRIED AT ALL COSTS TO BE TAIB’S ONLY CONFIDANTS AND ADVISERS STARTED FABRICATING LIES AND CONCOCTING UNTRUTHS TO MAKE TAIB DISLIKE DATIN AISHAH. ROBERT AND HIS ALLIES SABOTAGED AISHAH’S BINTULU PROJECT AND FORCED HER INTO GIVING UP AND LEAVE SARAWAK. SHE NOT ONLY MADE TO LOSE MONEY ON THE PROJECT BUT HER NAME WAS INTENDED TO BE DRAGGED THROUGH THE MUD. FOR THE SAKE OF HER MOTHER AND TO AVOID INFIGHTING WITH FAMILY MEMBERS AISHAH GAVE UP AND LEFT SARAWAK. THUS ROBERT ONCE AGAIN SUCCEDED TO ALIENATE ANOTHER MEMBER OF MAHMUD FAMILY FROM THE CENTER OF POWER.
SULAIMAN TAIB, TAIB’S 2ND SON, WAS ASKED TO MANAGE CAHAYA MATA SARAWAK SOON AFTER HE RETURNED TO SARAWAK AFTER GRADUATION. SULAIMAN WAS A CONCIENTIOUS YOUNG MAN WHO SOONER OR LATER RAN INTO PROBLEM WITH ROBERT’S WAY OF MANAGING OR MISMANAGING CAHAYA MATA SARAWAK. THERE WAS OFTEN FRICTIONS BETWEEN SULAIMAN’S AND ROBERT’S WAYS AND DATOK ONN’S WAYS IN CMS. THIS MEANT FINAL BUSINESS DECISIONS HAD TO BE REFERRED TO TAIB’S ATTENTION. FEW TIMES TAIB WOULD SIDE WITH ROBERT AND MADE SULAIMAN LOST FACE. THERE WERE OCCASIONS OF UGLY SHOUTINGS AND THREATS BETWEEN THEM AND SUBTLE INSTIGATION CREATED MISTRUST AND ILL FEELING BETWEEN SULAIMAN AND ROBERT.. AFTER SEVERAL OF SUCH UNPLEASANTNESS SULAIMAN DECIDED TO SPEND LESS AND LESS TIME IN CMS AND LIKEWISE LESS AND LESS TIME IN SARAWAK. AGAIN FOR THE 4TH TIME ROBERT SUCCEDED TO DRIVE FAMILY MEMBERS OUT OF SARAWAK - FIRST TAIB ‘S BROTHER DATOK ONN, THEN TAIB’S SISTER AISHAH, THEN TAIB’S YOUNGEST BROTHER DATOK ARIP THEN TAIB’S VERY OWN SON, SULAIMAN. ROBERT SUCCESS IN DRIVING MAHMUD’S FAMILY MEMBERS OUT OF SARAWAK HAS SUBSTANTIALLY BENEFITTED ROBERT AND HIS FAMILY IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE . BUT IT DOES NOT END HERE.
