Kota Kinabalu: Deputy chief minister Jeffrey Kitingan has welcomed the Sabah Pakatan Harapan’s support of the GRS-BN state government but said no additional state ministries would be created.
In response to a call by Sabah Umno Youth for a more direct role in the state government, Kitingan said: “We will explore how this can be accomplished.
“But we won’t be creating additional ministries as this could be misconstrued to just accommodate our new partners,” he said to FMT.
Apart from the chief minister, the Sabah constitution allows a maximum of ten ministers in the state cabinet.
Kitingan said the state cabinet had been thinking of the need to create or rename ministries to include the health and education ministry, homeland security ministry and energy and utilities ministry.
Sabah Umno youth chief Aziz Julkarnain had called for Sabah PH to have a part in the Sabah government, for example in the government-linked companies.
“Some of these posts are currently held by members of Perikatan Nasional parties,” he said, including Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Yong Teck Lee, who is chairman of POIC Lahad Datu Sdn Bhd.
PN forms the political opposition to the unity government led by Anwar Ibrahaim, which is supported by GRS.
“SAPP wants to have their cake and eat it too. That just won’t fly in today’s volatile political situation,” he said.
Aziz suggested a PH member be appointed as either the minister of local housing and government, or finance minister II, as the two posts are currently held by Masidi Manjun.
