[UPDATED] Istana Negeri to summon Sabah reps to name their CM candidate

KOTA KINABALU – All eyes are on the Istana Seri Kinabalu Negeri Sabah where media personnel waiting at the entrance were told that all assemblymen will be called soon for an audience with the head of state, Tun Juhar Mahiruddin.

“We will call them (the assemblymen) to state who they support as chief minister. This will be done soon,” said state communications secretary Datuk Abdul Rashid Mohd Tahir.

Sabah politics are again at an impasse after some Barisan Nasional (BN) elected reps decided to end their political cooperation with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).

Since then, BN and Sabah-based parties – Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) and Warisan – have questioned the legitimacy of GRS chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Mohd Noor as chief minister.

For now, GRS has 29 reps, which include 15 former Bersatu assemblymen. As things stand, the coalition appears to have the support of the five Sabah BN representatives who reportedly disagree with its chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, and Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) seven assemblymen.

This leaves BN with 13 while Warisan has 19 assemblymen and KDM, which is also against Hajiji, has three seats. Along with an independent, Bung’s faction has 36 seats.

This number would be tied with GRS’, which sources told The Vibes would also have 36 seats comprising its 29 assemblymen, the five from Umno and lawmakers from smaller parties.

Sabah’s assembly has 79 seats, and the simple majority needed to form a government is 40.

This makes PH’s seven lawmakers the possible kingmakers. – The Vibes, January 7, 2023