THE CHIEF WONT GROOM ANYONE FOR LEADERSHIP
THE WATCHER I REFER to the letter “Chief failed to groom young leaders” (The National, May 23). I would like to thank the writer, L. Lai, for the response to my observations. The Grand Chief could have allowed Don Polye to assume the position in his absence but he did not for reasons only known to him and possibly his inner circle. He would have carefully considered the consequences before making that decision. Polye’s ambition has been an open secret and many would agree that while he possesses admirable leadership qualities, it is too early for him to assume control. Ambition, ego, maturity and neutrality are factors which would have been considered by the prime minister. The writer’s reasoning that the decision stemmed from greed and desire to cling to power is weak in that the Chief has, in fact, handed it to Sam Abal. Is the Chief still in power or in a Singapore hospital? Furthermore, it implies that had Polye been appointed, the Chief would have been ousted due to some hidden