In Sabah, Musa Aman expected to be sworn in as CM tonight
(MMO) – Sabah Barisan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Musa Aman is expected to be sworn in for his sixth term as chief minister at 8.30pm at the Istana Negeri tonight.
Musa earlier claimed he had obtained the simple majority need to form the state government after reports that Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) president Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan and another party assemblyman are joining hands to form the government.
“We would like to stress that two STAR assemblymen Datuk Jeffrey Kitingan and Robert Tawik@ Nordin have decided to join with BN assemblymen to form the Sabah government with our new total of 31 seats.
“This means we have a simple majority to form the state government. I’ve been given the mandate by all 31 state assemblymen to lead the state as its chief minister,” he said.
Musa also denied claims that five United Pasok Momogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (UPKO) assemblymen have left the BN coalition to join Warisan
“We strongly deny these claims because the five are still with us to form the government,” he said.
Earlier, Upko president Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau had announced that the party was pulling out from the BN coalition presumably along with its five newly elected assemblymen.
However, the five assemblymen from Kadamaian, Paginatan, Kuamut, Nabawan and Kuala Penyu had instead said they would continue to remain in the BN.
Meanwhile. Kitingan, a former PKR state chairman said that he was not “joining” BN but “forming a coalition of local Sabah parties without Umno.”
He said that the plan is that the BN/Umno assemblymen will be leaving Umno and BN “because the Umno-BN era is over”.
Kitingan also said he was offered the post of deputy prime minister by PKR to join the Parti Warisan Sabah — Pakatan Harapan pact and form the Sabah government but he “flatly rejected it”, citing his continuing struggle for state rights and sovereignty from West Malaysia.
“We decided for the sake of Sabah to work with Sabah Barisan as it is a localised party unlike the other option who have to deal with many non-Sabah parties,” he added.
