With his schooner and superior firepower, Brooke successfully contained the rebellion and the province of Kuching, then known as Sarawak Asal (original Sarawak) was ceded to him. This was the start of the White Rajahs’ reign of Sarawak which the Brookes ruled as a private empire.

One could also argue that the late longest-serving Sarawak chief minister, who then became governor, had also treated Sarawak as his family empire.

The acquisition of huge tracts of land and businesses and the cries of cronyism and nepotism dominate Taib’s legacy. The abuse of power when he was the CM, the loss of vast tracts of virgin jungle, the disregard for the environment, and his contempt for native and customary rights leave a permanent scar on the Sarawak psyche.

According to Bruno Manser Fonds, the Swiss NGO, the privatisation of state-owned companies like CMS, formerly called Cement Manufacturers Sarawak, renamed Cahya Mata Sarawak, ended up in Taib’s family through which public contracts worth billions of ringgits were “won”.

Many high-profile senior politicians in Peninsular Malaysia, like Taib, appear to have King Midas’ touch. All that they handled turned to gold.

Many came from humble origins, but on becoming ministers, several managed to amass eye-watering fortunes and become billionaires as they climbed the greasy political ladder. They include former prime ministers, former finance ministers and a former ambassador to the US. 

Some politicians have praised Taib for bringing development to Sarawak. The country is rich in natural resources like timber, hydrocarbon deposits like oil and gas, minerals and gold.

However, the money is concentrated mostly in the hands of a few people. Ironically, the majority of the people remain poor. Sarawak is the third poorest region/state after Kelantan and Sabah.

Urban vs rural

Admittedly, Sarawak with its long coastline and rugged interior is inaccessible and difficult to develop. There is a huge urban and rural divide.

It is alleged that hundreds of millions of ringgits are involved in timber corruption kickbacks and corrupt money is hidden away in the Switzerland of the east, Singapore.

If only this money were used to uplift the lives of the people in the interior. Good infrastructure to connect the many villages, bridges to cross rivers for schoolchildren to go to schools, clinics for the villagers, roads for rural communities to sell their wares to the outside world, piped water and electricity.

Each year, millions of ringgits are dedicated to upgrading Sarawak schools, and yet, we read about decaying schools, poor foundations and terrible sanitation. Where did the money go?

Both Taib and former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad started their respective tenures in 1981. Both left an indelible stain on the regions they controlled. If Mahathir was the father of Ketuanan Melayu and affirmative action policies dominated national policy, then Taib is the alleged father of Ketuanan Melanau.

Melanau makes up 4.5 percent of the Sarawak population. Taib’s Syrian-born second wife and her two children from her previous marriage, are now fully fledged Melanau.

Meanwhile, many parents fail to register their children at birth. Residing in the interior and lacking funds to travel to the registration centres in towns mean that their children become stateless.

Brooke was the first white Rajah, just as Taib is the last white-haired Rajah, or Pek Moh, a term the Chinese community gave to Taib.

Brooke “civilised” Sarawak by outlawing headhunting and inadvertently united the Dayaks. In modern-day Sarawak, did Pek Moh unite the Dayaks or weaken them?

In Mahathir’s Peninsular Malaysia, the Malays occupy top positions in government. The majority ethnic group in Sarawak is the Dayak, which comprises the Iban and Bidayuh communities; but where is the Dayak CM or governor?

Despite his billions, Taib leaves behind a fragmented family, an uneven wealth distribution in Sarawak, and his political dynasty in tatters.