KUCHING, Feb 23 — With the guessing game of who would be replacing Sarawak strongman Abdul Taib Mahmud as chief minister over, the focus now is on the state cabinet under new Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem.

Adenan, 70, will take over as Sarawak chief minister once Taib's resignation takes effect from Feb 28.

With his new appointment, Adenan is expected to make some changes in the cabinet line-up although he had mentioned that he would retain all the present members but would make some changes to the portfolios of his ministers and assistant ministers.

An insider said Adenan was working very hard on his shadow cabinet and he would be surprised if any of the cabinet and assistant minister would be dropped.

 “Being a long-serving state cabinet member, Adenan knows well who are suitable to be in his cabinet.

 “He needs leaders who can do their job effectively as the expectations of the 'rakyat' (people) from his leadership are high,” he said.

Sources said PBB deputy president and state Housing and Tourism Minister,  Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg would be promoted as Deputy Chief Minister II while Tan Sri Alfred Jabu would keep his position as Deputy Chief Minister I.

The deputy chief minister II post has not been filled since Tan Sri Dr George Chan, the former Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) president, lost in the 2011 state election.

Abang Johari when asked on the appointment, however, declined to respond to the speculation.

Political analysts and observers have mixed opinions, with some saying that Datuk Seri Mohd Effendi Norwawi would accept Adenan's offer to return to assist the new government while others said the latter was reluctant.

However, Effendi had said that he was willing to help if asked by Adenan and that was enough to confirm that Effendi had shown interest, at least as economic advisor to the state government.

For the Balingian by-election, sources also revealed that besides Effendi, other names had cropped up these few days.

They are former state assistant infrastructure development minister Datuk Wahab Dollah and former Lambir assemblyman Datuk Aidan Wing.

The political analysts believe that Adenan needs to “overhaul” the cabinet  by taking in more effective members and dropping those less effective.

Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) president Tan Sri William Mawan today said he and the party's Supreme Council anticipated that there would be some changes.

He, however, did not elaborate, only saying that Adenan had his own way of doing things and he trusted that the latter would be fair to every party in the coalition. — Bernama