So Silly Sulaiman – Exclusive Photos!
Friday, March 4th, 2011 GMT - This post is also available in: Malay (From Sarawak Report)

We can predict one notable absentee from Taib’s pre-election political rally at the recently completed Borneo Convention Centre (just one of the major building contracts he awarded to his family company and put in the hands of his own sister Raziah). The absentee will be his own son and Federal MP, Sulaiman Taib. But Sarawak Report can perform a public service by reassuring people that the rumours that Sulaiman is dead are untrue.

In what can only be described as a stupid stunt, Sulaiman Taib has posted a picture of himself on Facebook, posing as ’Death’ rests a symbolic hand on his shoulder!
The Chief Minister’s younger son, who likes to be called Rahman when in North America, appears to have been responding to the widespread rumours that have been flying around Kuching for months that he is indeed dead! Judging from the sweat shirt worn by the skeleton figure, Sarawak Report can suggest to curious constituents, concerned to know his whereabouts, that he is in Canada!
In the Facebook posting, which can be accessed by 1,591 facebook friends, Sulaiman acknowledges the waves of speculation about his state of health and possible demise, which have carried on since he dramatically dropped from public view well over a year ago. However, he airily dismisses such concerns. In one entry dated February 15th he declares:
"Yes, I am healthy and still alive. (Stupid people listening to and spreading rumours. Please!! Get a life!!!)"





Comunicating only by Facebook!
Get a life?
The 42 year old, who is the Federal MP for Kota Samarahan, a seat he inherited from his father the Chief Minister in 2006, clearly thinks that constituents who are wondering where he is should ‘get a life’! In his Facebook entry he says he lives in Ottawa, Canada and makes no obvious mention of his political responsibilities back in Sarawak on the other side of the globe. Instead, the entries focus on pictures of his jet-set lifestyle and leisure activities. There are plenty snowy scenes, but little sign of sunny Sarawak!

Stupid people or stupid Sulaiman?
Sulaiman has been also spotted in London in recent months, including dining in Soho in September with his sisters and Aunt. Not long after he was photographed entering the Hyde Park apartment building used by his family in advance of a family get together that included Taib last October. So Sulaiman is definitely getting around the place. However, he has made not a single appearance in the Federal Parliament Building in KL for well over a year when he resigned his position as Deputy Tourism Minister. Neither has he been seen in Kuching, even missing his father’s recent wedding.

Rahman with Jamilah, Hanifah and Aunt Zaleha enjoying a dinner in Soho 22nd Septmeber 2010
Nevertheless, he retains his position and continues to be paid as Kota Samarahan’s MP! In fact, all his constituency duties have long since been delegated to Idris Buang, a political secretary of his father and none of the people who elected him to help them with their problems have seen a whisker of him! If Sulaiman was being paid to work in an office or a shop, his boss would legitimately be able to ask why if he is not at his desk. His constituents have an equal right to ask the same thing without being told to "get a life"!

Photographs for his facebook but no news for the rest of us!

Plenty of complaints but no explanations!
In the absence of his use of any of the normal official means of communication, Sulaiman has chosen to rely on the informal channel of his selected Facebook friends to pass his comments to the outside world. He has been using this means to post gossipy chat and photographs, as well as to complain that speculation about him is wrong. However, few of these friends appear to have been passing on the messages to the bemused public, hence Sarawak Report’s decision to publish some of his remarks.
In particular Sulaiman has been condemning those in Kuching who have concluded he must be seriously ill to have so suddenly neglected his duties and he has used his "wall" to deliver them a number of little lectures on the subject of truthfulness!
These are some of the more recent excerpts from his recent Facebook posts.
"If the truth always prevails, then why are there so many people lying these days?"Rahman Taib
"Honesty has diminished a lot in the world. Sad, but true".Rahman Taib
"Life is short. Be truthful, honest and kind in every way. These attributes will benefit your current and afterlife".Rahman Taib

Time for an honest open statement from Rahman Taib and his Dad?

We therefore wonder why the son of the Chief Minister does not take a little of his own advice and present the truth of the situation publicly through the proper channels? With all the media at his disposal he could do it with as little effort as posting such facile comments on his Facebook Wall? So, what is the truth Sulaiman Taib? You are by choice an elected public figure and therefore people have a right to know.
Serious politician or wealthy playboy?

If on the other hand the absentee MP has decided to opt for a private life instead, then why not resign his public office and allow a by-election to take place in his neglected constituency? His father could call it now and it would give a useful indicator of where the wind in blowing in the run up to the much delayed state election!
Cry for help? However, Sulaiman’s clear sense of unjust treatment indicates that maybe he has found himself unable to do any of these obvious things. At the risk of being accused of more unfounded speculation Sarawak Report concludes that Sulaiman seems clearly in a predicament that he feels is not of his own making. Could it be that he has displeased his draconian Papa and been banished out of sight?
As near as Rahman gets to an explanation of his absence!

In yet another posting that clearly refers to his bizarre circumstances, Sulaiman calls on the rest of us to withold our questions and our judgement until we know all the facts of the case!
"Judge only when you know ALL the facts and criticize only when you are ABSOLUTELY perfect". Rahman Taib
Such a complaint begs the request that the person who can present these facts should therefore get on and do so! Tell us all the facts so we can make our judgement Sulaiman Taib. It is your failure to do so that is being criticised at the moment and rightly so!
The truth? Let's hear it!

To think that this was the man whom the Taib was so recently preparing to ‘inherit’ his role as Chief Minister and to think that Taib has so recently declared that he still can find no one else in BN who is capable to succeed him! the gathering at the Borneo Convention promises to be a pretty dull and desperate event – unless, of course, Sulaiman surprises everyone and turns up after all!

BODOHNYA SULAIMAN – GAMBAR-GAMBAR EKSKLUSIF!
Friday, March 4th, 2011 GMT - This post is also available in: English (Petikan Dari Sarawak Report)
Kita boleh menjangkakan bahawa seorang yang tidak akan menghadirkan diri di perhimpunan pra-pilihanraya anjuran Taib di Borneo Convention Centre Kuching nanti adalah anaknya sendiri yang juga seorang ahli Parlimen, Sulaiman Taib. Tetapi Sarawak Report boleh mengesahkan bahawa Sulaiman yang dikatakan telah mati sebenarnya tidak benar sama sekali. Kami menganggap Sulaiman telah melakukan ‘aksi’ stunt yang amat bodoh kerana dia telah meletakkan gambarnya pada Facebook! Anak Ketua Menteri ini, yang lebih gemar dikenali sebagai Rahman Taib ketika di Amerika Utara, nampaknya telah memberikan responnya terhadap khabar angin yang mengatakan dia telah mati di kalangan penduduk Kuching! Berdasarkan baju yang dipakai oleh patung tengkorak yang berdampingan dengannya, kita boleh mengesahkan bahawa Sulaiman kini sedang berada di Canada! Dalam entri Facebook Sulaiman, yang boleh diakses oleh 1,591 rakan Facebooknya, dia mengesahkan keadaan kesihatannya, di mana dia telah menghilangkan diri sejak lebih setahun lalu. Dalam salah satu entri Facebooknya pada 15 Februari yang lalu dia mengumumkan:
" [Ya, saya sihat dan masih hidup. (Orang-orang bodoh membesar-besarkan khabar angin. Tolonglah!! Jalanilah kehidupan sendiri!!!)]"
Ahli Parlimen Kota Samarahan yang berusia 42 tahun itu, yang mewarisi kerusi dari ayahnya dalam tahun 2006, ingat bahawa para pengundinya masih tertanya-tanya di mana sebenarnya dia berada! Dalam satu lagi entri Facebooknya, dia mengatakan dia tinggal di Ottawa, Canada dan tidak sedikitpun nampak menghiraukan tanggungjawab politiknya di Sarawak.

Beberapa bulan yang lalu Sulaiman pernah dilihat di kota London, termasuk ketika dia makan bersama-sama saudara-saudaranya dan ibu saudaranya di Soho, tidak lama setelah dia dilihat memasuki apartmen Hyde Park milik keluarga bapanya. Sahlah Sulaiman berjalan-jalan sambil menikmati hidupnya di luar negara. Namun demikian, dia tidak lagi kelihatan di Bangunan Parlimen di Malaysia sejak lebih setahun yang lalu setelah dia meletakkan jawatannya sebagai Timbalan Menteri Pelancongan. Dia juga tidak kelihatan di sekitar Kuching, termasuk semasa perkahwinan bapanya baru-baru ini. Walaupun ponteng dari tugas dan tanggungjawab menterinya itu, dia masih kekal seorang menteri Parlimen dan menerima gaji bulanan ahli parlimennya! Tugas dan tanggungjawab menterinya diamanahkan kepada Idris Buang, seorang setiausaha politik kepada bapanya, dan setiap pengundinya kini masih tertunggu-tunggu akan kehadirannya dan mengharapkan bantuannya! Jika Sulaiman itu bekerja di pejabat atau di sebuah kedai, sudah tentu bosnya akan bertanya kenapa dia tidak hadir bekerja. Maka para pengundinya juga berhak bertanya sedemikian!
Semasa ponteng dari tugasnya, Sulaiman telah memilih untuk menghubungi rakan-rakan dan kenalan-kenalannya melalui Facebook sebagai suatu saluran untuk menghantar komen-komennya kepada dunia luarnya. Dia telah menggunakan saluran ini untuk mengepos pelbagai gosip dan gambar-gambarnya, termasuk menyalurkan aduan tentang spekulasi mengenai dirinya adalah salah. Namun beberapa orang rakan dan kenalannya telah mendedahkan kewujudannya ke pengetahuan umum, maka dengan itu Sarawak Report telah membuat keputusan untuk menerbitkan komen-komen Facebooknya di sini.

Selain ‘bersantai’ di Facebook, Sulaiman juga kedengaran menepis khabar angin di kalangan orang-orang Kuching yang menganggapnya sedang jatuh sakit yang telah menyebabkannya meninggalkan tugas dan tanggungjawabnya secara tiba-tiba, dan dia juga menggunakan "status" Facebooknya untuk menghantar syarahan-syarahan kecil mengenai topik kebenaran!

Kami tertanya-tanya kenapakah anak Ketua Menteri itu tidak mengamalkan apa yang disyarahkannya dan mempersembahkan kebenaran keadaan kepada umum menerusi saluran-saluran yang lebih sempurna? Dia boleh menggunakan media-media arus perdana yang memihak kepada kerajaan bapanya dan bukannya bertindak bodoh menggunakan "status" Facebooknya? Apakah kebenaran yang anda maksudkan itu, Sulaiman? Anda sememangnya seorang tokoh yang dipilih dan para pengundi anda berhak untuk mengetahuinya.
Sebaliknya, jika seseorang ahli Parlimen memutuskan untuk memilih untuk menikmati kehidupan secara privasi, kenapa Sulaiman tidak mengosongkan kerusinya dan membenarkan pilihanraya kecil dilaksanakan di kawasan pilihanraya yang tidak dipedulikannya lagi? Bapanya boleh, pada bila-bila masa, menjalankan pilihanraya kecil di kawasan berkenaan!

Mohon bantuan?
Namun, jelaslah sudah Sulaiman kini telah menemui kebuntuan. Bagi mengelakkan dituduh mengeluarkan spekulasi secara melulu, maka Sarawak Report membuat kesimpulan bahawa tindakan-tindakan Sulaiman bukanlah berdasarkan keputusannya sendiri. Atau, mungkin juga kerana takut akan bapanya, maka dia telah meninggalkan negerinya?
Kita boleh mengandaikan bahawa Taib ingin mewariskan pemerintahannya kepada Sulaiman, berdasarkan gerak-geri Taib yang masih tercari-cari siapakah orang dalam BN yang paling layak menggantikannya! Perhimpunan di Borneo Convention Center Kuching nanti sudah pastinya hambar, kecuali jika Sulaiman membuat kejutan di hadapan ahli-ahli BN yang hadir nanti!


PS: Suatu pertanyaan buat speaker parlimen Malaysia, Adakah boleh seseorang ahli parlimen tidak hadir dalam sidang parlimen selama satu (1) tahun tanpa sebab? Adakah kerana ada alasan yang membolehkan seorang itu tidak hadir sehingga 1 atau lebih tanpa sebarang sebab? Kalau beliau sakit atau di halang dari menghadiri sidang parlimen mungkin boleh diterima tapi kalau beliau sihat dan berada diluar negara hanya untuk 'enjoy' dan menghabiskan wang rakyat bolehkah dikecualikan? Kalau beginilah sikap seorang ahli parlimen yang hanya menghabiskan wang rakyat lebih baik letak jawatan dan tumpu sepenuh masa dalam business bukan jadi wakil rakyat.
Kepada pengundi Kota Samarahan adakah kamu semua masih sanggup lagi memilik calon atau ahli parlimen yang tidak turun padang dan menyuarakan masalah kamu ke dalam sidang parlimen? Sungguh malang kalau kita masih sanggup memilih orang yang tidak dapat melaksanakan tugas dengan baik.
Sanggupkah pengundi Kota Samarahan memilih lagi calon atau wakil rakyat yang tidak menjalankan tugas dengan amanah dalam pilihanraya akan datang? Sungguh malang pengundi Kota Samarahan kerana memilih orang yang tidak bertanggungjawab sebagai wakil rakyat tapi hanya pentingkan diri sendiri, Bah apalagi nak tunggu, pilihanraya sudah hampir, kita kena bersedia untuk mengubah dari kerajaan BN kepada kerajaan baru PAS dan PAKATAN Rakyat demi kesejahteraan umat. Insy'Allah pasti ada kebaikan yang lebih baik buat semua. PAS untuk Semua