MUKAH, Oct 4 2026: Premier Abang Johari Openg reiterated that his decision to make coming state election his last is not due to external pressure, but rather his age.
He said that he has already clarified this matter while attending the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Special Convention in Miri recently.
He said ageing is a natural process that must be accepted, and state leadership needs to be carried on by a team that has been trained.
“We grow older by the day. If it were possible to reverse the process, it wouldn't be an issue, but it cannot be reversed. So, we must accept it as something natural.
“To lead the state, we must have a team. Adenan Satem, Douglas Uggah, and the rest of us were trained under Taib Mahmud's leadership as PBB president and chief minister.
"We develop the state as a team, and we must continue to have a team,” he said when met by the media after officiating the 'Sarawakku Sayang' Programme for the Mukah Division yesterday.
Responding to a question about whether he might consider continuing to lead beyond 2030, Abang Johari reiterated that his decision was based on age.
“No. It depends on age. Do you know how old I am? By 2030, I will be 80 years old.” "Well, at that age, if one is still going strong..." he explained.
Meanwhile, PBB Women Wing chief Fatimah Abdullah, who is also the Minister of Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development, appealed the premier to reconsider the decision.
She insisted that Abang Johari’s leadership remains essential for advancing the state's development agenda, particularly in strengthening the economy, community wellbeing, and education.
Abang Johari has been chief minister since 2017 and as premier from 2022 to the present.
He was State Legislative Member for Satok from 1977 to 2021 and from 2021 as SLM for Gedong.
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