Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Tightening the noose of control on 'beloved' brother in law





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.