Speculation on the retirement of Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud within this month became intense Thursday when he did not turn up for another official event, the second since the news emerged on Wednesday.

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu represented Taib at the Sarawak Government's Loyalty Service Medal presentation ceremony at the State Legislative Assembly building here, Thursday.

When approached by reporters, Jabu said it was normal for the chief minister to delegate functions to other Cabinet members when he had prior commitments.

"He (Taib) asked me to deputise for him; I'll just deputise. It's a normal thing," he said without elaborating.

Jabu, when questioned, also declined to say whether Taib was in the state or elsewhere.

Last night, Taib delegated the duty to officiate at the Sarawak Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA) annual dinner to Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.

When speaking at the ceremony, Awang Tengah apologised for Taib's absence and said the chief minister had another commitment.

Awang Tengah, who is also PBB senior vice-president, requested reporters to use Taib's text of speech that he had read out at the event.

He declined to comment on the speculation that Taib planned to retire this month.

The Berita Harian Malay language daily had, in a front page report yesterday, speculated that Taib, who had been the chief minister since 1981, would announce his retirement this week.

Meanwhile, Sarawak Legislative Assembly Speaker Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar, commenting on the speculation about Taib's purported plan for retirement, said: "What is the latest (speculation)? The front page (report) of Berita Harian is the same as speculation. I will not speculate on that speculation.

Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), of which Taib is the president, will hold its supreme council meeting on Saturday, he said, but added that he had yet to receive any official agenda for the meeting.

As such, he said, the agenda could be decided on an ad hoc basis and could include surprising or unsurprising matters.

"No surprises is a surprise. That speculation (on Taib's retirement) is a speculation on speculation. So I can't speculate (whether the speculative news report will be discussed at the meeting)," he said.