Don’t just probe PPBM, look into Shafie fiasco, says Kitingan

STAR president Jeffrey Kitingan says Shafie Apdal should be investigated over the ‘chief minister’s fiasco’ after the May 2018 polls.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah opposition leader Jeffrey Kitingan has urged Pakatan Harapan leaders not to practise a double standard in calling for an investigation into federal ruling party PPBM. He said the opposition should also call for a probe into circumstances that led to Shafie Apdal being made chief minister in 2018.

The DAP has called for an investigation into an alleged offer of positions in the Cabinet and government-linked companies by PPBM to Umno leaders just before Dr Mahathir Mohamad resigned as prime minister and chairman of the party in February.

Kitingan said if the PH leaders were serious about investigating wrongdoing, then they should also call for a probe into the “chief minister fiasco” after GE14.

The STAR president said Barisan Nasional had attained a simple majority of 31 seats in the 60-seat state assembly after his party, then in the opposition, supported BN.

He said the initial results showed both BN and Warisan, including DAP and PKR, had won 29 seats each before STAR, which held two seats, threw its support behind BN.

On May 12, he said, Shafie was sworn in as chief minister in place of Musa Aman, who had been sworn in two days earlier. “This resulted in the CM fiasco.”

Kitingan claimed he was investigated by MACC for illegitimately teaming up with BN to form the state government.

“My house and office were raided in the middle of the night,” he said, describing it as a scare tactic. He said it was later called off as no wrongdoing was found.

In the midst of all this, he said, Sabah deputy chief minister Wilfred Madius Tangau, who is the Upko president, “took five assemblymen and switched allegiance from BN to Warisan”.

“They had contested and won their seats under the BN symbol and not on their own Upko symbol.”

As a result, he said, Shafie was sworn in as the chief minister, and Tangau was appointed a deputy chief minister after being nominated as an assemblyman.

“Tangau would not have been entitled to be a state minister let alone DCM if not for his appointment as a nominated rep,” he said, adding the MACC should look into this. - FMT