Stop governing until court decides, PBS tells Warisan

Parti Bersatu Sabah says this is to avoid a constitutional crisis in the state, and that the legal government is the one set up by Musa Aman

KOTA KINABALU - Acting Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president Maximus Ongkili today urged the Parti Warisan Sabah-Pakatan Harapan (PH) state government to cease governing until the court decides on the legality of its status.

He said this was to avoid a constitutional crisis and “administrative havoc” in the running of the state.

Speaking at a PBS meeting with senior leaders and members of the youth and women’s wings in Kota Marudu yesterday, he said the state constitution and laws must be upheld to show that the government truly cared for the well-being of all Malaysians in Sabah.

“PBS and our legal advisers maintain that the legally installed state government is the constitutionally sworn-in chief minister and Cabinet of Musa Aman,” he added.

Ongkili said Musa’s government was formed by a coalition of 29 elected Barisan Nasional (BN) assemblymen and two elected members from Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR), thus giving Musa’s team the necessary majority to form the government.

“In accordance with the Sabah constitution, Musa and his Cabinet were sworn in by the head of State, thereby making them the legal state government of Sabah.

“It is verified and proven that all 31 assemblymen signed individual letters of pledge and support for Musa to be sworn in as chief minister.”

Ongkili said Musa’s Cabinet, once legally appointed, could not be removed except through the act of personal resignation by the appointed chief minister, or dismissal through a vote of no confidence in the state assembly.

“This was the legal path chosen in the infamous dismissal of the PBS government of Joseph Pairin Kitingan in 1994,” he said.

He said PBS deplored the “unprincipled acts” of the six former BN assemblymen who abandoned the coalition government within 24 hours of their written pledge of support for Musa.

He said these assemblymen had won their seats on the BN platform, manifesto and election funds.

“They leap-frogged to the opposition to dethrone the legally elected BN coalition government for their personal benefit and made voters of the BN government suffer.

“The fact that these leaders were awarded senior posts in the new administration is proof of the political spoils and rewards that they sought.”

He said the most honourable thing for the six assemblymen to do was to resign and seek re-election under their new party platform so that the voters in their constituencies could decide on their political fate.

On another matter, Ongkili said PBS would recompose and reinvent its multiracial political platform.

“We will play our role to ensure Sabah is developed in line with the party’s aspirations as contained in our election manifesto, especially in our struggle to defend Sabah rights as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

“We invite Sabahans to join our noble struggle and together we will usher the dawn of Gabungan Bersatu (Unity Front),” he said.