Phoong is new Sports Minister
KOTA KINABALU: Tanjung Papat assemblyman Datuk Frankie Poon Ming Fung is expected to officially be sworn in as Sabah Health and People’s Wellbeing Minister next Tuesday.
Announcing this yesterday, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said Poon will no longer be in the acting role but formally helm the ministry a er the demise of former minister Datuk Stephen Wong Tien Fa , who was an appointed state assemblyman and DAP Sabah Chairman.
He said Luyang assemblyman Ginger Phoong Jin Zhe, who is also former political secretary to Wong, will replace Poon as the state Youth and Sports Minister.
Meanwhile, DAP Sabah treasurer Loh Ee Eng is expected to be sworn in as an appointed Sabah assemblyman next week.
“God willing, if there are no obstacles (the swearing in will be) on Tuesday,” he told a press conference at the Sabah Air Building in Tanjung Aru before leaving for Kuala Lumpur to a end a meeting with Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the relevant commi ees regarding the Malaysian Agreement 1963.
“This is not a cabinet reshuffle. This is just to fill up a position that had been le empty by the late Datuk Stephen Wong,” Shafie said.
He said the decision was made a er meeting up and coming to an agreement with the DAP Central and Sabah leadership a er the recent Sandakan by-election.
“Frankie Poon is the successor to the late Stephen Wong and is the current (DAP) State chairman. So it (position) needs to be filled and we (also) need a young, dynamic person like YB Ginger,” he said.
“I am confident they have the capabilities to carry out the responsibilities,” he said.
The Chief Minister reiterated there is no state cabinet reshuffle as the ma er is done to fill up the vacancies according to the practices of the Warisan-led government.
“There is no reshuffle, just filling up the vacant positions. If there is no vacancy, we will not fill it. Only if there is one minister, (he) can’t hold too many positions,” he said.
“From sick people to running people. From sports to health, right? His responsibility is great and we need someone to control and monitor the responsibilities entrusted to the Health and People’s Wellbeing Ministry and also Youth and Sports Ministry,” he explained.