The new Sabah chief minister says no one is allowed to report for duty at any state ministry office unless permitted by the present government.
Sabah Chief Minister Shafie Apdal says he is ready to bring change to the state administration.
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s new Chief Minister Shafie Apdal today warned that no one was allowed to report for duty at any state ministry office unless given permission by the present government.
He said he had informed the state secretary that individuals like Jeffrey Kitingan should not go to ministry offices.
“If they insist on that, we will take the necessary action,” he told reporters at the chief minister’s office here today.
Jeffrey, who was appointed as Sabah’s deputy chief minister and agriculture and food industry minister in the administration of Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Musa Aman, had arrived for his first day at the office this morning.
Upon arrival, he held a meeting with the ministry’s permanent secretary Ahmad Ag Hashim and the rest of the ministry’s staff.
Jeffrey was appointed on Thursday night by Musa, who was sworn in as chief minister on the same night.
However, Shafie, who is Parti Warisan Sabah president, was sworn in on Saturday after obtaining 35 state seats, more than enough to form the state government following the defections of six BN assemblymen to the Warisan-Pakatan Harapan (PH) pact.
Earlier today, state palace officials served Musa a notice informing him that he was no longer the chief minister.
Shafie said he was ready to bring change to the state administration and to make good on the promises made by Warisan-PH in the election campaign.
“I’m just glad, and thanks be to God because we can be here today.
“Let’s not talk too much, we have to do the job. I will make a number of announcements within the next 100 days… this is the people’s wish,” he said, adding that his government would need some time to translate everything into policy.
Shafie also said he would announce the state Cabinet line-up soon, and reiterated his instruction for ministers not to involve themselves in business.
“I don’t want any conflict of interests,” he added.
He said the state government would also consider opening investigations into the previous administration.
“But we need to follow the law on this. It cannot just be based on hearsay.”
On Warisan reps being fielded in the federal government line-up, he said he would submit the names and leave the matter to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
He was confident that Warisan would get some representation in the central government, saying PKR and DAP too would have places in the Sabah administration. -FMT
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