Umno, Gerakan rule Sabah cabinet

Michael Kaung

Chief Minister Musa Aman seems to have slammed the door on Liberal Democratic Party, BN's oldest partner in the state.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman, whose cabinet now has nine ministers from Umno and Gerakan, has successfully sidelined local parties.

Outvoiced in the ‘new’ Sabah cabinet are Parti Bersatu Sabah’s (PBS) two Deputy Chief Ministers Joseph Pairin Kitingan and Dr Yee Moh Chai and Upko’s sole representative Ewon Ebin. Ebin is Upko deputy president.

Accusing state BN of a ‘coup’, Sabah Progressive Peoples’ Party (SAPP) secretary-general Richard Yong said three quarters of the cabinet is under the control of peninsula-based parties.

“It seems like KL-based parties now have nine out of 12 members in the cabinet. They have more ministerial posts in the state government than the local-based parties.

“Umno is holding seven, Gerakan has two cabinet ministers, PBS has two ministerial posts while Upko has only one,” he said.

Yong was commenting on the recent decision by Musa to appoint Yee, who is Resource Development and Information Technology, as his new DCM to represent the Chinese community in Sabah.

He said SAPP, which had pulled out of the Sabah BN in September 2008 after 16 years in the ruling coalition, was shocked that Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) had been obliterated from the cabinet.

Rotation system

LDP, which is the oldest BN member in Sabah, has now been reduced to no representation eventhough they won all the seats they contested in the last elections compared to Gerakan which did not contest any seats in the state.

He also said that the latest minor reshuffle in the state cabinet seemed like a rotation system for the Chinese deputy chief minister post.

“The frequent changes of the post has nothing to do with effective leadership and representation of the Chinese community in the cabinet.

“Instead of squabbling over posts and positions the state cabinet and the government should strive to work out solutions to solve the many pressing problems facing Sabah,” Yong added.

LDP, meanwhile, is expected to convene an urgent supreme council meeting to deliberate and state the party’s stand on the state BN’s leadership.

Its publicity chief Albert Kok said the party would state its stand and decide on the next course action after the supreme council meeting to be chaired by its president VK Liew. Liew  is a Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.

Additional allocations

Apart from LDP and Upko, the other Sabah BN component partner Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) led by Deputy Federal Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Joseph Kurup, is also asking for additional allocations of posts under the BN’s power sharing formula.

PBRS had, during its recent 17th anniversary celebration, urged that one of the deputy speaker posts in the State Legislative Assembly be given to the party.

Upko youth chief Arthur Sen meanwhile said that with six elected representatives, the party deserved to get one additional full portfolio in the state cabinet compared to Gerakan.

Asked about Musa’s decision to give the DCM’s post to PBS, PBRS deputy president Ellron Angin opined that in terms of quota and fair power sharing among BN component parties, LDP should have at least been given a new post in the cabinet as a compensation.

“It’s true there might arise questions in terms of quota, but then of course it’s the prerogative of the CM.  Maybe in terms of experience, and I’m not saying that they (LDP) are not capable leaders, but in term experience it is an important aspect,” he said.

Elron added that the Chief Minister’s decision to pick Dr Yee could be based on good intention and for the interest of the Chinese community in Sabah