Taib believes other parties will emulate PBB's success

Outgoing Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud remains confident that the Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition will remain strong as ever even after his retirement from politics.

Abdul Taib who will step down as the Chief Minister after 33 years, on Friday, said there are positive signs that the state's BN coalition tried to emulate Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), the backbone of the state's BN, when reaching mutual consensus.

"Unity and compromise is the key to PBB's success. I believe other component parties gradually now share similar views," he told reporters after an earth breaking ceremony for the Miri Water Theme Park, here Sunday.

Besides PBB, other BN component parties, included Chinese-based Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) as well as two-rural based Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) and Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS).

Abdul Taib, 78, named Special Functions Minister at the Chief Minister's Office and PBB Information Chief Tan Sri Adenan Satem as his successor when he steps down on Feb 28.

Earlier, Abdul Taib said the Miri Water Theme Park will herald a new era for the state tourism industry as it will add another new tourism attraction for the Miri City, especially for outdoor activities.

The theme park will be build on a 41.6-hectare site or 107 acres of land in three stages, by the developer - Miri Housing Group of Companies - with the first stage expected to be completed by end 2015.

Miri Housing Group of Companies executive chairman Datuk Lau Siu Wai said it took one-year of planning and nine-years of site preparation before the first stage of construction starts.

The water theme park located at the Senadin residential estate, less than 15 minutes from the Sarawak-Brunei border checkpoint in the Kuala Baram district, is estimated to cost RM1 billion and it can accommodate at least 6,000 visitors.

The park will have an international-standard hotel with 250 rooms, a shopping mall with at least 300 shops, a recreational forest featuring unique plants, trees and herbs found in Sarawak, facilities for water sports, a water ride and facilities for outward activities.