KOTA KINABALU, March 17 — Leaders who stay “too long” in power make it difficult for their successors, said Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem when relating his struggle to escape the shadow of Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud’s three decades of rule.

Adenan, who took over the post on February 28 last year, said that getting into the role was disconcerting initially as Taib’s over 30 years in power had led many — including himself — to associate the post with the latter.

“When people say ‘CM’ they are used to it referring to Taib. I once arrived at an event and asked the organiser, when is the CM coming, before I realised I was the CM and the event can now proceed,” he said yesterday to laughter from the audience that included Sabah Chief Minister  Datuk Seri Musa Aman, state ministers and department heads.

But he added that the same issue also extended to Taib, who took time to adjust to his new role as Sarawak governor, and sometimes had to be reminded he was now the Yang di-Pertua Negeri.

“My point is – don’t stay too long as CM,” he said, to smattering of laughter, but was quick to add that he was not hinting for Musa for step down, adding that  Musa’s 11 years in power was reasonable, compared to Taib’s “very long” 33 year reign.

Taib, who became chief minister in 1981, had helmed an administration marred by allegations of corruption and abuse of power, including claims he awarded government contracts to crony companies and family members.

Adenan said being in charge of a state such as Sabah or Sarawak was challenging in ways different from being  being mentri besar in Selangor, for instance.

“For one, there is more autonomous power and, of course, the size. Sabah and Sarawak make up about one third of Borneo island, with a population that is spread out over a large land mass.

“The responsibility is bigger and can be hard to handle but knowing Musa — he can handle it,” he said.

“We have so much in common- same party and same purpose. That is why there the relationship between our two states must be developed. We have so much in common, and we have an understanding,” he said.

Adenan reiterated his stance of not wanting Umno to enter Sarawak.

“So we’ll just let sleeping dogs lie and let them in Peninsular Malaysia carry on,” he said.

Adenan also said that peninsula could learn some lesson from East Malaysian when it came to living in unity.

“(Prime Minister Datuk Seri) Najib (Razak) talks about 1 Malaysia but here we have been practising it all this while.

“You have 30 tribes who live in peace and harmony... compared to only three in West Malaysia and yet… They have lessons to learn from us too,” he said.