Sabah maintains status quoBy MUGUNTAN VANAR and RUBEN SARIO (the star online)
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah maintained the status quo in the composition of parties in the state cabinet though Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman dropped two senior state Umno leaders in the line-up.
Musa brought in Klias assemblyman Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun, 53, to replace Pantai Manis assemblyman Datuk Abdul Rahim Ismail while giving back the Liberal Democratic Party a spot in the cabinet by appointing newcomer Karamunting assemblyman
Peter Pang En Yin, 49.
Also dropped was former assistant minister Datuk Karim Bujang, the Sabah Barisan secretary, whom Musa said had declined to be reappointed assistant minister as he had been serving in that position since 1994.
He told reporters after the swearing-in of his cabinet at the Istana Negeri here on Friday that the appointments were a continuation of his previous working cabinet to achieve various goals outlined under the Ninth Malaysia Plan and Sabah Development Corridor.
He also disclosed that he would be increasing the number of assistant ministers from 14 to 18 pending amendments to the state constitution.
Azizah, who was deputy Housing and Local Government Minister and Wanita Umno Exco member, will take up the Community Development and Consumer Affairs portfolio held by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Yahya Hussin.
Yahya takes the Agriculture and Food Industries post from Rahim whom Musa said had to make way for a woman cabinet minister at the request of various women’s groups and NGOs.
Azizah is the first woman cabinet minister in the state Barisan administration since Datuk Dayang Mahani Tun Raffae was dropped in 1999 by Datuk Osu Sukam, who was chief minister then.
Another new face in the 11-member line-up is LDP’s supreme council member
Pang who was made Youth and Sports Minister replacing Datuk Liew Yun Fah who was dropped by his party to contest the elections.
Apart from Yahya, Musa also kept the two other deputy chief ministers Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan (Rural Development Minister) and Datuk Raymond Tan (Infrastructure Development Minister).
Musa, who kept the Finance portfolio, maintained the seat-sharing formula among Sabah Barisan’s parties with Umno holding six cabinet post followed by PBS with two and one each for Parti Upko, Sabah Progressive Party and LDP.
The other ministers are Datuk Nasir Tun Sakaran (Minister in Chief Minister’s Department), Datuk Hajiji Mohd Noor (Local Government and Housing Minister), Datuk Masidi Manjun (Tourism, Culture and Environment) and Datuk Ewon Ebin (Industrial Development) Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai (Resource Development and Information Technology).
Among the new assistant ministers are Datuk Sairin Karno (Rural Development), Donald Peter Mojuntin (Resource Development and Information Technology), Datuk Musbah Jamli (Agriculture and Food Industries) and Datuk Michael Asang (Infrastructure Development).
Musa also named the additional four assistant ministers to be sworn in later. They are Datuk Ghullam Haidar Khan, Bolkiah Ismail, Datuk Ellron Angin and Herbert Timbun Lagadan.
paling untung si peter pang lah...sudah lah first time become candidate, mng and later jadi full minister pulak tu...adidi bertuahnya badan...sya pok jahid jahim bah jadi youth and sports minister
tapi nda pa lah, manatau dia boleh jadi president for safa????
