KOTA KINABALU: Sabah DAP chairman Datuk Frankie Poon is fine with not being a part of the new state Cabinet line-up.
He said the appointment of ministers was the prerogative of the Chief Minister, and as members of the state assembly, they have to abide by what the leadership decides.
“These are things we need to work with, aren't they?” he said when asked if he was disappointed at not being appointed a minister.
Poon’s party secretary Phoong Jin Zhe was instead appointed as Industrial Development Minister.
Poon said he knew Phoong would have a busy time ahead.
“I’ve been there so I know how it is going to be,” said the former state People’s Health and Wellbeing minister during the Warisan Plus state government in 2018.
Poon said he was told that he would be leading a state government-linked company and the letter of appointment should be issued very soon.
“I am ready to take on this new role if it materialises. There are challenges in every job so we just have to take the bull by the horns and do our best for the state,” he said.
When contacted, Phoong said he wanted to look into his new post and its accompanying duties before making any comment.
Poon and Phoong were among the seven Sabah Pakatan Harapan leaders who backed Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor to stay on as Chief Minister when Sabah Barisan Nasional chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin decided to withdraw support for the state government.
The others were Upko's Datuk Ewon Benedick (Kadamaian), PKR's Datuk Christina Liew (Api-Api) and Peto Galim (Inanam), and DAP's Jannie Lasimbang (Kapayan) and Tan Lee Fatt (Likas).
The backing of Sabah Pakatan helped Hajiji to stay on as Chief Minister.
