‘Lame excuse’ for Shafie as finance minister

Kiulu assemblyman Joniston Bangkuai says Musa Aman's former BN administration has left Sabah in strong financial health.

A Barisan Nasional assembly member accuses Shafie Apdal of shifting blame to Musa Aman for creating a ‘financial mess’.

PETALING JAYA: A Parti Bersatu Sabah state legislator has accused new chief minister Shafie Apdal of shifting blame to the previous Barisan Nasional government to justify his taking over as finance minister.

Kiulu assemblyman Joniston Bangkuai said Shafie was giving a lame excuse by saying he needed to “clean up the mess”.

He said Shafie, who is Parti Warisan Sabah president, had been under fire from within his own alliance with Pakatan Harapan, with those from PKR and DAP being uncomfortable that he was both finance minister as well as chief minister.

“He is undermining the people’s intelligence when he claims that he will only hold the post temporarily and that he wants to clean up the mess as well as lopsided deals left by Musa Aman,” Bangkuai said.

On Wednesday Shafie said that, as finance minister, he would not be directly involved in approving projects. There would be a new centralised body to vet and approve all contracts and policies.

Borneo Today quoted sources close to Shafie today as saying that he would not hold on to the finance portfolio any longer than necessary.

The report said Shafie had a Herculean task to clean up the mess left by the previous government and that his experience as an economist would be useful in untangling the “web of deceit”.

However, Bangkuai questioned “what financial mess is he talking about?”

The former government had been given a clean bill by the federal Auditor General for 16 consecutive years until 2016 while RAM Ratings had given the state administration an “AAA” rating for seven consecutive years until 2017.

He said the government had also recorded a budget surplus every year from 2015 to 2018; this year’s budget stood at RM4.1 billion with a surplus of RM65 million.

“The state financial reserves had also increased from RM184 million in 2002 to RM3.74 billion last year, and for 16 consecutive years the state recorded a surplus in its annual consolidated revenue account until last year,” he said.

He said the achievement was due to a prudent and efficient approach taken by the former administration under Musa, who is state BN and Umno chairman.

Bangkuai said it was ironic that PH was downsizing the federal Cabinet while the Warisan-led state government was doing the contrary.

He said the formation of three new state ministries appeared to be a move to provide important positions to the coalition that was formed with United Pasok Momogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) after the 14th general election on May 9.

“The formation of the three new ministries will surely be a burden to the state government as they will need more funds for manpower and logistics, apart from creating confusion and duplication of tasks,” he said.

“Where will the government find money for all these?” he added.

PBS announced it was leaving BN on May 12, while Upko made the move the day after the polls. -FMT