Selangor Journal
A palace officer cleaning the gate area of Istana Seri Kinabalu, at Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, on January 8, 2023. — Picture by BERNAMA

Focus continues at Istana Seri Kinabalu, Sri Gaya on Sabah’s political situation

KOTA KINABALU, Jan 9 — Istana Seri Kinabalu and the official residence of the Chief Minister at Sri Gaya here are still the focus of media practitioners in Sabah following the current political situation in the state.

Media practitioners were seen gathering as early as 9am at Istana Seri Kinabalu here to monitor the movements of leaders, but at the point this news was written, there was no official information on any event for coverage at the istana.

Meanwhile, Sri Gaya which has also become a meeting place for state leaders from Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) has also drawn the attention of media representatives who are expected to gather there on the latest political status in the state.

Yesterday, Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor claimed he had obtained the support of 44 Sabah state assemblymen among them from GRS, Pakatan Harapan (Harapan) and Barisan Nasional (BN), and therefore the Sabah government is still intact and he is still the chief minister now.

Twenty nine of the 44 assemblymen are from GRS with Harapan (seven), BN (five), PAS (one), Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah (one) and Independent (one).

However, Sabah BN chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin yesterday insisted that the current Sabah Government no longer exists and that the position of chief minister held by Hajiji has been dissolved with Sabah BN’s action of withdrawing support from the state government last Friday (January 6).

On Saturday (January 7), Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he would hold a meeting with Sabah leaders to discuss the state’s political issues after returning from an official visit to Indonesia scheduled for today.

— Bernama

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