Sabah Musical Chairs To End With Shafie Swearing In As Chief Minister Tonight
The swearing in is expected to take place at 9pm.
By Sadho Ram — 12 May 2018, 02:34 PM
Warisan President Mohd Shafie Apdal is expected to be sworn in as Sabah's 15th Chief Minister tonight at the Istana Negeri, possibly bringing an end to the musical chair that began soon after GE14
According to reports, Warisan Deputy President Darell Leiking has claimed that said Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) was informed of the matter by the Istana Negeri officials.
The swearing-in ceremony is expected to take place at the palace at 9pm tonight.
Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.
Image via MOHD ADAM ARININ/NST ONLINEReportedly, Sabah Governor Tun Juhar Mahiruddin has summoned members of the Warisan-PKR-DAP pact to the state palace tonight
Darell Leiking said that he believes that the summons is for the swearing-in ceremony of a new Sabah chief minister to replace the current CM Musa Aman of the Barisan Nasional (BN), according to a report in MalayMail
"He should follow the law because he doesn't command the majority of the House anymore. Musa should do the right thing for the sake of Sabah, and not think of his own personal ego," Leiking was quoted as saying by MalayMail.
Mohd Shafie, however, neither confirmed nor denied the matter
He merely replied "thank you" when the media congratulated him.
"Let the Istana inform ...Thank you for your support. I want to have a meeting for a while," he told reporters earlier today, NST Online reported.
On 10 May, President of Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) Jeffrey Kitingan had announced that the party, which won two state seats in GE14, will join hands with BN to form the Sabah government
As a result of Jeffrey's decision, Sabah Barisan Nasional chairman Musa Aman was sworn in as the 14th Chief Minister. It led to discontented Sabahans taking to the streets of Kota Kinabalu in a show of protest against another term under BN's rule.
However, now that the Warisan-PH pact has the support of at least 35 state seats after six BN assemblyman crossed over in the last 48 hours, it is expected that Musa will step down. Although, there has yet to be an official news of his resignation.
The names of the six BN assemblymen who switched sides:
1. Sebatik assemblyman Datuk Abdul Muis Picho (UMNO)
2. Paginatan assemblyman Datuk Abidin Madingkir (UPKO)
3. Tanjong Batu assemblyman Datuk Hamisa Samat (UMNO)
4. Kadamaian assemblyman Ewon Benedick (UPKO)
5. Kemabong assemblyman Datuk Jamawi Jaafar (UMNO)
6. Balung assemblyman Datuk Osman Jamal (UMNO)