PBS sec-gen arrives at Istana Negeri to hand over 41 SDs

 

KOTA KINABALU: As the race to form the next state government continues, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) secretary-general Datuk Jahid Jahim has arrived at the Istana Negeri to hand over what he says are 41 statutory declarations in support of the candidate for chief minister.

However, Jahid stopped short of naming the chief minister candidate for the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) alliance.

“I’m representing GRS to hand over documents containing support for the proposed chief minister candidates to be considered by the governor,” he said when met by reporters outside Istana Negeri on Monday (Sept 28).

GRS won a total of 38 seats in the state election – enough to form a simple majority in the 73-seat state – and it is believed that two Independents who won had also pledged allegiance to the alliance.

Asked who are the proposed chief minister candidates, Jahid merely said, “That will only be known during the swearing-in ceremony”, which is scheduled to be held tomorrow (Sept 29).

Asked if it was between Sabah Parti Pribumi Bersatu Sabah Datuk Hajiji Mohd Noor and Sabah Barisan Nasional chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, Jahid merely said, “That will be up to the governor”.

He added that all discussions involving GRS partners Sabah Barisan, Perikatan Nasional and PBS have arrived at a consensus.

He also said that GRS is ready for the swearing-in ceremony when it is called by the Governor.

Asked if there were other names than Bung and Hajiji proposed for the chief minister role, Jahid said “That will be up to the TYT (the Governor)”.

He left shortly after and was inside Istana Negeri for about 10 minutes.

Sources have told The Star that Bung is no longer among the frontrunners for the position, as it it believed that Sabah Barisan had given up the chief minister position in return for strategic ministerial positions in the state cabinet.

Over the past week, the chief minister candidate for GRS became a contentious issue as Sabah Barisan and Perikatan did not seem to budge.

In the recently concluded 16th state elections, GRS won 38 seats (Barisan has 14, Perikatan has 17, and PBS has seven), while the Warisan Plus won 32 seats with Independents taking three seats. - Star