KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Barisan Nasional is claiming it has got the simple majority of 31 seats and caretaker Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman is asking to be sworn in immediately.
Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan’s Sabah STAR, which has two seats, threw its support behind Sabah Barisan while five assemblyman with Upko stayed put with Musa, minutes after Upko acting president Datuk Wilfred Tangau announced the party was leaving Barisan.
With the drama over a hung state assembly changing by the hour, Musa asked Yang DiPertua Negeri Tun Juhar Mahiruddin to swear him in "immediately" as he has been waiting since morning.
“I have the 31 seats, I should be sworn in immediately,” he told a press conference at Seri Gaya here Thursday.
Dr Jeffrey said that he was not joining Barisan but was supporting and forging a coalition between Sabah Star and Barisan as he felt that Sabah Barisan was the best option for Sabah.
“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.
Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Afdal's Parti Warisan Sabah and partners PKR and DAP have also been hoping to form the government with assemblyman from Star and Upko.
Upko's Tangau had announced that five assemblymen from his party, who are currently being "held" at Sri Gaya with Musa, are expected to be called to Istana Negeri later to "state their allegiance".
He said, the decision to leave Barisan came after a unanimous decision at Upko's supreme council meeting.
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