Former Sabah chief minister Musa Aman has emerged as the leading contender to become the next governor of Sabah, replacing Juhar Mahiruddin, whose term concludes on Dec 31, 2024.
Sources have informed Malaysiakini that Musa (above) is the most likely candidate among those being considered.
However, it is understood that the Kadazan-Dusun community in Sabah is still trying to lobby at the last minute for another former chief minister Joseph Pairin Kitingan.
Malaysiakini has learned that the Sabah chief minister has submitted a list of nominees for Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar’s consideration.
Besides Musa and Pairin, former Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin is also on the list.
An official appointment ceremony could take place as early as next week, ahead of the year-end holidays.
Musa’s rise
Musa served as Sabah’s chief minister from 2003 to 2018, under the BN administration.
Musa also played a key role in Sabah’s political landscape during the 2018 general election. Despite initial claims of a majority, his government fell after defections to the rival Warisan party, leading to the eventual rise of Shafie Apdal as chief minister.
He later faced 46 charges of corruption and money laundering linked to timber concessions in Sabah. However, Musa was acquitted in June 2020 after the charges were withdrawn following a prosecution application.
In 2020, Musa orchestrated a political coup against the Warisan-led government under Shafie. Claiming to have secured the support of a majority of state assemblypersons.
Musa sought to reclaim power by presenting his case to the Sabah governor. However, the attempted takeover ultimately failed when Shafie requested the dissolution of the state assembly, triggering a snap election.
Pairin served as Sabah’s chief minister from 1985 to 1994, heading Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) during a politically tumultuous era marked by federal-state tensions.
He later joined BN, where he continued to influence state and national politics as the deputy chief minister and a federal minister.
The Kadazan-Dusun regard Pairin as their “Huguan Siou” (paramount leader). He is highly respected by the community. - Mkini
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