Musa attends first sitting in nearly a year

Ex-CM takes part in Question Time during brief appearance

KOTA KINABALU: Ousted chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman attended the state assembly sitting for the first time in 11 months.

Sporting a goatee and holding a walking stick, he asked a few questions and left during Question Time.

Since the 14th General Election, Musa has not attended a single assembly session and could have lost his seat had he failed to turn up for three successive sittings.

He only came to the state assembly in September to take his oath as Sungai Sibuga assemblyman.

Musa, who faces multiple money-laundering charges in connection to timber deals that allegedly occurred during his tenure as chief minister, has maintained a low profile since his ousting.

He asked supplementary questions to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal on the deportation of foreigners and Infrastructure Development Minister Datuk Peter Anthony whether the planned railway line between Kota Kinabalu and Kudat was just to raise people’s hopes in view of the high cost.

When he asked whether these were just “cakap angin” (empty talks) that could not be realised, Deputy Speaker Datuk Ahmad Rahman reminded Musa to use proper parliamentary language.

Both Mohd Shafie and Peter answered Musa’s questions.

Musa was seen smiling and seemed pensive at times as he looked on from the opposition bench. He also declined to take questions from the media.

“I will speak when I am ready,” he said when asked if he was taking over as opposition leader from Sabah STAR president Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, who had earlier welcomed Musa as the state opposition leader.