IN a move towards establishing a unity government, two Pakatan Harapan (PH) assemblymen have been sworn in as state ministers in Hajiji Noor’s Sabah government.

The duo who took their oaths of office this morning are Christina Liew from PKR and DAP’s Phoong Jin Zhe

Tanjung Keramat assemblyman Shahelmey Yahya, who is among the five Umno lawmakers who sided with the chief minister during the recent state leadership crisis, was sworn in as a deputy chief minister in place of Sabah Barisan Nasional chief Bung Moktar Radin who was dropped.

Shahelmey will also be the state works minister.

Hajiji has also given up the finance minister portfolio, which will be assumed by his right-hand man Masidi Manjun.

Another Umno dissident, James Ratib, was also sworn in as a state minister.

In addition to Bung, two other Umno lawmakers – Yakub Khan (Karambunai) and Jafry Ariffin (Sukau) – have also been given the boot.

Apart from Shahelmey and Ratib, the other three Umno assemblymen who have thrown their support behind Hajiji are Dr Yusof Yacob (Sindumin), Jasnih Daya (Pantai Dalit), and Arshad Bistari (Tempasuk).

Api-Api assemblyman Liew was deputy chief minister in the previous Parti Warisan Sabah government. She returns to the state cabinet as tourism, culture and environment minister.

Sabah DAP secretary Phoon Jin Zhe, who is the Luyang assemblyman, was the state youth and sports minister in the Mohd Shafie Apdal-led administration. He will assume the industry development portfolio.

James Ratib, who was an assistant minister in the Hajiji administration was promoted to full minister.  

Last week, Bung said Sabah BN was opting out of the state government because it had lost confidence in Hajiji, citing a breach of an agreement between BN and Perikatan Nasional.

It triggered a leadership crisis but a few days later, Hajiji with the backing of six dissenting Umno assemblymen, said he had the support of 44 lawmakers in the 79-seat state legislature.

Bung and Warisan president Mohd Shafie Apdal, in separate statements yesterday, said they backed the proposal of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to form a unity government.

Bung, who was Sabah deputy chief minister, had said that a unity government would bring stability. – January 11, 2023.