KOTA KINABALU: After an election that saw no clear winner, Sabah has gone the way of the Federal Government, with a “unity government” that includes a broad spectrum of parties.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has named an 11-member Cabinet that had four ministers from his Gagasan Rakyat party, two from Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and one each from Pakatan Harapan, Upko and arch political rival Sabah Barisan Nasional.
There were three deputy chief ministers: Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam, Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun and Datuk Ewon Benedick.
Ewon had quit as federal Cabinet minister and taken his party Upko out of Pakatan Harapan five days before nomination day on Nov 15.
It paid off as Upko won three seats and Ewon was also named as Industrial, Entrepreneur and Transport Minister.
Sabah Umno secretary Datuk Jafry Ariffin was named state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister.
The 10 new ministers were sworn in before Governor Tun Musa Aman at Istana Kinabalu here at 3.30pm yesterday.
Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) chairman Hajiji did not include a Chinese minister despite anticipation that GRS’ only winning Chinese assemblyman, Datuk Ben Chong, also of Gagasan, would be appointed.
A new lineup of the 18 assistant state ministers will be made known at 10am today, it is learnt.
According to a source, the 18 are expected to be sworn in before Musa at 10am.
The sole new face in Hajiji’s latest cabinet is Melalap assemblyman Datuk Jamawi Ja’afar, who is the only Pakatan Harapan candidate to win.
Joachim, representing the Chief Minister, said the Sabah government was “like a unity government” that involved GRS-Pakatan, Upko and Barisan.
He said Hajiji was unwell and could not attend the press conference after the swearing-in.
Asked if Sabah STAR, led by Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, would also play a part, he said: “Not yet.”
GRS won 29 seats with its partner Pakatan winning one seat.
Hajiji, however, cobbled a simple majority of 38 seats, with Upko’s three assemblymen and, it is believed, the five Independents who won. None of the five have yet to confirm their support.
Hajiji was sworn in as Chief Minister at 3.05am on Sunday.
Sabah Barisan, led by Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, won six seats and did not initially indicate it wanted an alliance with GRS.
However, Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that the coalition was ready to be part of the state coalition government hours before the swearing-in yesterday.
With Barisan on board, the “unity government” has the support of 43 assemblymen, providing all five Independents officially join in.
The opposition Warisan, led by Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, won 25 seats while Parti KDM, under acting president Priscella Peter, won one seat.
