THE reshuffle of the Sabah cabinet following the recent political crisis was carried out based on the state constitution with a line-up comprising leaders of various races, said Papar MP Armizan Mohd Ali. 

Armizan, who is also Sabah, Sarawak and special functions minister, said the people of Sabah must respect the decision to support the operation of the state government. 

“(The people) are well represented in this cabinet reshuffle. Sabah needs a united and functioning cabinet to fulfil its responsibilities in the mandate given by the people,” he said at a press conference after a working visit to the Civil Defence Force headquarters in Kajang today. 

Armizan was commenting on the Sabah cabinet reshuffle by Chief Minister Hajiji Mohd Noor yesterday, which saw Hajiji relinquishing his finance portfolio to Masidi Manjun. 

Among the 11 Sabah cabinet members, seven are from Gabungan Rakyat Sabah, and there are two each from Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan. 

Expressing confidence in Hajiji’s leadership, Armizan said the state government will continue to work with the same chief minister who has the support of the majority.

He said under Hajiji’s leadership, the state government has, among other things, managed to increase the state’s revenue, which was at RM4 billion for more than 10 years, to RM5.4 billion in 2021 and RM6.6 billion in 2022. 

In another development, Armizan wants the Sabah people to welcome the unity government’s commitment under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, especially on the issue of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63). 

He said two issues regarding MA63 have recently been resolved by the federal government, namely, the delegation of power to approve development projects worth less than RM50 million to Sabah and Sarawak governments, and the devolution of gas supply authority to the two states. – Bernama, January 12, 2023.