KOTA KINABALU, July 30 ― The Warisan government remains the Sabah government of the day, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew insisted late last night.
The PKR state chairman said that Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal still commands the majority of the 65-seat state assembly.
“Shafie is still chief minister. He has the majority,” said Liew when approached in the vicinity of Shafie’s Yayasan Sabah house.
Liew, who declined to say what that majority was, said that the government will stay on for as long as is democratically possible.
Earlier, she attended a closed-door meeting with other leaders of the Warisan-led government.
The Pakatan Harapan-friendly coalition is reeling from the defection of some 12 of its elected and appointed assemblymen, reducing its majority in the house to 33 ahead of the Opposition’s 32 seats.
Former chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman yesterday evening claimed that he has the simple majority to command the house and would be seeing the Head of State Yang DiPertua Negeri Tun Juhar Mahiruddin to claim the government.
It remains unclear whether Musa met Juhar after the press conference at 6pm, but sources in Warisan claimed that Shafie had met Juhar at about 9.30pm last night.
Shafie returned to his Yayasan Sabah residence at 10.30pm where a crowd of supporters had gathered. With him were Liew, other state leaders and state Attorney General Brenndon Keith Soh.
“He is the legitimate chief minister now, but with such a slim majority, we will be stonewalled every step of the way.
“He will ask for a dissolution in this case. I think the TYT will agree that it is too close to call in this case,” said the source.
Shafie came out to greet supporters and members of the media at 11.40pm and said he will hold a press conference this morning at 10am.
If Musa has the support of the majority of the House as claimed, Juhar can ask Shafie to step down as chief minister and swear Musa in.
He can also opt to dissolve the state assembly to pave way for fresh polls should Shafie request it.