PARTI Warisan Sabah president Mohd Shafie Apdal was tonight sworn in as the 15th chief minister of Sabah.

The state now has two chief ministers, and going by the constitution, the matter can be resolved only by convening a sitting of the state assembly to call for a vote of confidence for Shafie.

Bernama reported that the Barisan Nasional-Sabah Star coalition state government under Musa Aman will be replaced within 48 hours.

Shafie was made chief minister after Warisan obtained a simple majority of 35 seats, following the defections of six BN assemblymen – four from Umno and two from Upko – to Warisan.

He was sworn in before Yang di-Pertua Negeri Juhar Mahiruddin at 9.11pm, and signed the credentials of appointment before Chief Justice of Sabah and Sarawak Richard Malanjum.

On Thursday night, Musa, who is state Umno liaison chief, was sworn in as chief minister and Star president Dr Jeffrey Kitingan was sworn in as deputy chief minister. Two other deputy chief ministers and seven ministers, too, took their oath of office.

In the 14th general election, Warisan won 21 state seats. Its Pakatan Harapan allies, DAP and PKR, won six and two seats, respectively. The 29 seats had been insufficient to obtain a simple majority, thus handing the state to the BN-Star alliance.

This afternoon, a defiant Musa chaired his first state cabinet meeting as Shafie and defecting assemblymen gathered at the latter’s Kota Kinabalu home.

He denied claims that he had quit as chief minister and that his cabinet members had resigned.

“Let me put it on record that neither I nor any member of the state cabinet have resigned. In fact, I chaired the first state cabinet meeting after the just-concluded general election.” – May 12, 2018.