KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 — Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud will serve a seventh term as Sarawak chief minister after a late-night swearing-in an hour after it was announced tonight that Barisan Nasional (BN) had retained its two-thirds majority.

Taib has helmed the East Malaysian state for 30 years but recently pledged to step down after this state election following pressure from the BN leadership.

His insistence on going for another term became campaign fodder for Pakatan Rakyat (PR) which more than doubled its presence in the state assembly.

It is understood that the ruling coalition views Abdul Taib, unpopular with Sarawak’s Chinese voters, as a liability and is eager to put the Sarawak BN chairman out to pasture.

But Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, when asked earlier about Abdul Taib’s quit plans, would only say that the promise would be fulfilled when the time comes.

BN won 55 seats, seven less than in the 2006 state election. Its share of the popular vote also decreased from 62.93 per cent in 2006 to 55.24 per cent this year.

The ruling coalition managed to keep its two-thirds legislative majority in Sarawak but today’s results have shattered its apparent invincibility and the notion of a “fixed deposit” in future elections.

DAP doubled its presence to 12 seats and PKR tripled its representation to three although the PR lynchpin had contested in 49 seats. PAS lost all five seats it contested while independent George Lagong gained one seat.

The number of state seats to PR will spell danger for BN as it could help the opposition pact win more parliamentary seats when the general election is called by Najib. PR now has 75 MPs but the Sarawak win could translate into more in the future.