Removal of Hajiji’s critics from cabinet ‘appropriate’
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor’s move to allegedly remove those against his leadership from the latest cabinet line-up has been regarded by analysts as “appropriate”.
Hajiji had also shown he was “generous” for retaining one deputy chief minister’s post for Umno, despite the party pulling support from his leadership.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah senior lecturer Associate Professor Dr Lee Kuok Tiung, said it was impossible for Hajiji to include representatives from a party that clearly opposed him.
He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim himself would not be able to include Warisan and Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) if their respective presidents — Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal and Datuk Peter Anthony — did not support him as prime minister.
“In this context, it is illogical for Warisan and KDM — which do not support Hajiji (as chief minister) — to be included in his cabinet,” he said when asked to comment on Sabah’s new cabinet line-up here, yesterday.
Commenting on the unity government, Lee said the new state cabinet reflected such a concept because it included various parties including Pakatan Harapan (PH).
“The Sabah government today is a unity government, as PH has been included in the new cabinet.
“We need to re- alise and remem- ber that a unity government means a government formed from parties or politicians who agree and support someone as a leader, such as supporting Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister.
“If Warisan and KDM supported Hajiji as chief minister the same way they support Anwar as prime minister, their representatives will definitely be in the cabinet, but they do not support him.
“Therefore, Anwar and his deputy, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, cannot force or decide who should be in the Sabah cabinet.
“It is Hajiji’s prerogative to decide who should be in his cabinet, just like Anwar did for the federal unity government cabinet.”
Commenting further, he said Hajiji had shown that he was generous and inclusive by retaining the position of deputy chief minister for Sabah Umno.
“Anwar’s unity government only gave the position of deputy minister to Sabah Umno, even though Sabah Umno contributed six seats (20 per cent) out of BN’s 30 seats nationwide.
“Not a single full ministerial position was given to Sabah Umno in the federal unity government.”