KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Barisan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Musa Aman was sworn in as the state’s new Chief Minister at the Istana Negeri, on Thursday night.
Musa, 67, who has been Chief Minister since 2003, took the oath at 11.05pm in the presence of Yang di-Pertua Negeri, Tun Juhar Mahiruddin.
Ten assemblymen were also sworn in as state cabinet ministers before the Yang Dipertua Negeri.
Musa was granted an audience with the Yang di-Pertua Negeri earlier this evening, after which he had said he would be taking his oath of office at 8.30pm.
He had earlier said that BN’s 29 state assemblymen would be cooperating with Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) to form the state government with a simple majority through 31 out of 60 state seats.
Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan), led by its president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, has 21 seats, DAP has six and PKR has two.
Earlier in the day, Shafie had attempted to seek an audience with Yang Dipertua Negeri at Istana Negeri but was declined. Warisan together with PKR and DAP, were reported to be set on forming the state government after Upko announced that it would be leaving BN and bringing along five assemblymen into the pact.
Shafie later met Upko acting president Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau to form a new pact. But the Upko assemblymen declared that they would remain with Sabah BN.
The five assemblymen are Datuk Abidin Madingkir (Paginatan), Ewon Benedick (Kadamaian), Datuk Bobbey Ah Fang Suan (Nabawan), Datuk Limus Jury (Kuala Penyu) and Datuk Masiung Banah (Kuamut).