The current term of the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (SLA) could well be the last for Deputy Premier Douglas Uggah Embas if his recent “admission” to the media is anything to go by.
When pressed to comment on speculations that he would not defend his state seat in the coming Sarawak election, he replied:
““As we get older, we may run out of ideas. We may also no longer be able to keep up with technological development.
“Therefore, whatever happens, we leave it to the Sarawak Premier (Abang Johari Openg) to make the decision,” he said.
Uggah, who is also Bukit State Legislative Member (SLM) and PBB deputy president, said in the party, leaders come and go.
He said this is the tradition in PBB.
Although Uggah is not PBB president, he is the leader of the Pesaka wing of PBB.
When Alfred Jabu Numpang stepped down as the leader of Pesaka wing, Uggah became its undisputed leader.
Who will likely succeed Uggah as undisputed leader of the Pesaka wing and with it, the post of deputy president of PBB?
The obvious choice is the current PBB senior president Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, who is also SLM for Kemena, as well as Minister of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Minister.
Dr Rundi is the next senior leader after Uggah in the Pesaka wing of PBB.
Uggah is 71 years old this year, sharing the same age with Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, who is also the Deputy Premier.
Premier Abang Johari Openg is older than them by five years.
Uggah has long been in politics, starting his political career in PBB Youth.
When Abang Johari was the Youth leader, Uggah was the deputy.
Uggas elected as Member of Parliament for Betong for seven consecutive terms from 1986 to 2018.
He had held various posts in the federal and state governments, Parliamentary Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Department (1990-1995), Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Rural Development (1995-1999), Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (1999-2003), Deputy Minister of Transport (2003-2008) as well as Minister of Natural Resources and Environment (2008-2013).
He also also served as the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities before moving into state politics when he won Bukit Saban in the 2016 state election.
After the state election, Adenan appointed him as Deputy Chief Minister.
After the demise of Adenan in 2017, Abang Johari, who took over as Chief Minister, retained Uggah as his deputy.
After the 2021 state election, Abang Johari appointed Uggah, apart from Deputy Premier, as Second Minister of Finance and New Economy and Minister of Infrastructure Development and Port Development.
Apart from his ministerial positions, Uggah is also the chairman of the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) and the minister in charge of Unit for Other Religions (Unifor)