PETALING JAYA: Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin claims that chief minister Hajiji Noor’s new Cabinet is not the unity state government that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim wanted to see.
In a statement, Bung also said the two Umno assemblymen who were included in Hajiji’s Cabinet did not represent the party and were not recognised by Sabah Umno.
The former Sabah deputy chief minister said he will raise the matter with Umno’s disciplinary board and party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“Hajiji cannot say (they are representing Umno) or recognise them as representing the party in his Cabinet line-up,” he said, referring to newly appointed deputy chief minister and works minister Shahelmey Yahya, and community development and people’s wellbeing minister James Ratib.
Nonetheless, Bung said, Sabah Umno was ready to be in the opposition and play its role as check and balance against the state administration effectively.
He urged Hajiji to be fair to his Cabinet colleagues and not directly interfere with the running of their ministries.
“Don’t just seek to garner profits while neglecting the people. Bring about change for Sabah and its people,” he said.
Hajiji had reshuffled his state Cabinet earlier today, following the political turmoil in the Bornean state initiated by Sabah Umno withdrawing its support for the chief minister.
Bung was dropped from the Cabinet, with Shahelmey taking over his portfolios. Umno’s Jafry Ariffin and Yakub Khan were also dropped from the new line-up.
Jafry previously served as the state tourism, culture and environment minister, and Yakub was the state science, technology and innovation minister.
Earlier, three new members of the Cabinet were sworn in at Istana Seri Kinabalu – Ratib, PKR’s Christina Liew and DAP’s Phoong Jin Zhe.
