Musa Aman rushing back to Sabah in bid to keep his seat

KOTA KINABALU: Former chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman is set to fly back to Sabah on Wednesday (Sept 5) as he rushes to be sworn in on time as Sungai Sibuga assemblyman before he is disqualified.

Musa, who has been undergoing treatment for an undisclosed ailment at the Subang Jaya Medical Centre since Aug 21, is expected to touch down in Kota Kinabalu in the afternoon.

Sources close to the former chief minister said they were unsure if authorities would be moving in on him upon his arrival amid speculations that the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission was keen to record his statement on several issues, including their probe on buying assemblyman after GE14.

As for the criminal intimidation probe by the police in connection with a report lodged by Yang DiPertua Negeri following the May 10 swearing in of chief minister ceremony at Istana Negeri, they said Musa had given his statement to the police.

The 67-year-old, Sabah's longest-serving chief minister, claims to be the rightful chief minister. He insists that he was illegally removed by the Governor, who replaced him with Parti Warisan Sabah president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal on May 12.

Musa left for London on May 14. 

Right now, he has only until Friday to swear in as Sungai Sibuga assemblyman, failing which – under the Sabah Constitution – his seat would be declared vacant for failure to take his oath within three months. 

Musa will have to take his oath by Sept 11, but he has to do it by Friday, Sept 7, as the assembly will go into a long weekend till Tuesday, with the King’s birthday falling on Sunday, meaning Monday would be a public holiday, while Maal Hijraah is being celebrated on Tuesday.  

Sources said Musa could swear in before Sabah State Assembly Speaker Datuk Syed Abas Syed Ali or any of his two deputies on Thursday (Aug 6), if authorities did not haul him up.

Under Article 22(2) of the state constitution, a seat can be declared vacant by the Assembly if a newly elected assemblyman fails to take his oath within three months of the first sitting. 

The first sitting after the May 9 General Election was held on June 11.

Two-thirds of the  64-member state assembly is controlled by his arch political rival and successor, Shafie who can  can decide to declare the seat vacant or allow for the 67-year-old Musa to be given more time if he makes an appeals to the assembly upon failing to swear in by Friday.

In anticipation of his arrival at 12.30pm, supporters of Musa began to converge at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport Terminal 2 complex by late morning.