KOTA KINABALU: A new round of power play is on the cards as the fragile Sabah Barisan Nasional-Star state government takes office today.
In a bid to consolidate its position, Star president and newly appointed Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said a new political platform will be formed by the two-party government.
Jeffrey said all government assemblymen will resign from their parties and join the new party that will be given a new name and formed through a restructuring of Parti Bersatu Sabah.
Jeffrey also said the new pact will be using the Sarawak administrative model where the ruling party has no ties with any peninsula based political parties.
“All these will be done as soon as possible so that all can leave Umno to join this local party. This is a way for us to unite all our people so that we do not disintegrate and depend on parties from outside.
“We have discussed and agreed to restructure our political approach, the way we administer and the way we cooperate with each other,” he said.
Sabah BN chairman Tan Sri Musa Aman had indicated the idea mooted by Jeffrey after he was sworn in as the Chief Minister last night at Istana Negeri.
“We will set our direction with this new alliance. There may be some changes,” Musa said after the ceremony.
In the delayed ceremony, held amidst a protest mounted near Padang Merdeka below the Istana Negeri last night, 10 assemblymen were also sworn in as cabinet ministers before Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Juhar Mahiruddin.
Jeffrey, Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun and Datuk Hajiji Noor were made Deputy Chief Ministers.
Jeffrey was also given the Agriculture and Food Industry portfolio, Masidi keeps his post as Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister while Hajiji takes the Infrastructure Development Ministry.
The other ministers are Datuk Jahid Jahim as the Local Government and Housing Minister,Datuk Bobbey Suan (Special Tasks) , Datuk Ellron Angin (Rural Development), Datuk Bolkiah Ismail (Industrial Development), Datuk Masiung Banah (Youth and Sports), Datuk Musbah Jamli (Resource Development and Information Technology) and Datuk Anita Baranting (Community Development and Consumer Affairs).
The Sabah BN-Star government is also expected to announce the appointment of six nominated assemblymen today.