# Sarawak's premier says his time may be up

> At 76, Abang Johari told a PBB convention that this could be his last term and that older leaders should step aside.
- Title: Sarawak's premier says his time may be up · Malay Mail
- Summary: At 76, Abang Johari told a PBB convention that this could be his last term and that older leaders should step aside. Succession only works if a party trains…
- Keywords: sarawak, pbb, politics, succession, leadership, news, world, Sarawak's, premier, time, may, Malay Mail
- Source: Malay Mail — https://malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/09/13/this-may-be-my-last-time-abang-johari-hints-at-possible-final-term-as-pbb-president-calls-on-younger-leaders-to-step-up/235068
- Published: 2026-09-13T18:02:54+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: sarawak, pbb, politics, succession, leadership, news, world
## This may be my last time
Abang Johari opened his speech at the PBB Northern Zone convention in Miri with a line nobody expected: he may not lead the party much longer.

> This may be my last time.
## The maths of being 76
He put his own age on the table. Seventy-six now, eighty in four years, and no amount of feeling young changes what that means for a party president.

> I'm 76 years old, in four more years I'll be 80.
## He hasn't decided yet
The hint stopped short of an announcement. He said he will make the call when the moment arrives, leaving PBB with a signal rather than a date.

> But I will make the decision when the time comes.
## Make way for the young
His actual ask was aimed at his own generation: older leaders should step back so younger members can carry PBB's responsibility and its struggle.
## Being replaced stings
He named the feeling directly. Losing a position hurts, but he framed it as the law of nature rather than a snub, and told members not to take it as one.

> Sometimes we feel disappointed when we are replaced.
## Leaders go, the party stays
Faces change, the mission does not. He argued PBB endures because it has a system for continuity, carried by anyone who loves Sarawak.

> Leaders come and go. There comes a time when we say thank you and allow new people to take our place.
## Train them to talk to people
Succession is not just handing over a title. Successors need training in how to engage different communities and different religions so nothing turns toxic.

> The successors must be trained, trained in how to communicate with people.
## He was trained too
Abang Johari said the leaders before him prepared him for the job, and that debt now falls on his generation to repay to PBB's younger members.
## New faces already in
This is not a plan waiting to start. PBB fielded fresh candidates, young leaders among them, at the last election, so the handover is already underway.

> Therefore, those of us who are older should give way to the younger generation.
## Key takeaway

Succession only works if a party trains its replacements before it needs them, not after.