SUPP leaders led by Dr Sim (right) pay tribute to the late Adenan while (from left) Azizul and Jamilah look on. – Photo via Facebook/Azizul Annuar Adenan Official
KUCHING (Jan 11): Tanjong Datu assemblyman Azizul Annuar Adenan and his mother Datuk Amar Jamilah Anu together with several Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) leaders paid their tribute to the late former Chief Minister Pehin Sri Adenan Satem at his grave here today.
Azizul said today marks the seventh anniversary of the passing of his father Adenan, and thanked the SUPP leaders led by party president and deputy premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian for joining in to pay their tribute.
“It has been seven years since the passing of (my) late father Pehin Sri Tan Sri Hj Adenan bin Hj Satem. The struggle and spirit (of my father) is always fresh in the memory.
“Thank you YB Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian who visited the deceased’s grave early in the morning with my mother, Datuk Amar Jamilah Anu. May his soul be blessed and placed among the believers… Al-Fatihah,” said Azizul in a Facebook post today.
Also seen present were Deputy Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government Datuk Michael Tiang; Batu Kitang assemblyman Dato Lo Khere Chiang; Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap; Kuching South mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng; and Padawan Municipal Council chairman Tan Kai.
Adenan, popularly known as Tok Nan served as the fifth Chief Minister of Sarawak from March 2014 to his death in January 2017.
As chief minister, he brought a new style of leadership to the state, which was both fresh and intriguing not only to the people of Sarawak but for people throughout the country as well.
Throughout his first two years at the helm of leadership, Adenan brought many issues to the fore, including his focus on Sarawak’s autonomy, empowerment, environmental protection as well as reducing and abolishing fees for various services.
All these and more were emphasised under what he coined his ‘53 Principles & Actions’, which he introduced from the time he took his oath of office on Feb 28, 2014.
One of the most important decisions he made was giving state government recognition to the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) to obtain Yayasan Sarawak loans or scholarships and also for those interested to enter the state civil service.
He was also very intent on promoting the use of English among the people of Sarawak, as he felt mastery of the language would allow Sarawakians to be more competitive and competent on a global stage.
As such, Sarawak adopted English as its second official language, alongside Bahasa Malaysia. This meant that official correspondence for the state government could either be in English or Bahasa Malaysia.