KOTA KINABALU: Tun Juhar Mahiruddin (pic) is expected to be re-appointed as the Sabah Yang di-Pertua Negeri, according to state government sources.
The 69-year-old Sabah governor was expected to receive the Instrument of Appointment from the King at Istana Negara at 2.30pm on Friday (Dec 23).
Juhar, who was first appointed Sabah governor Jan 1, 2011, was backed by the state government under Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor to continue serving as the state's 10th Yang Di-Pertua Negeri, sources said.
Juhar's third term as governor would officially end on Dec 31 and the fresh appointment would be effective from Jan 1.
The governor appointment was for a four-year term and it would be Juhar's fourth term as Sabah Yang Di-Pertua Negeri.
Previously, Sabah limited the Governor's term to only two terms.
But, in 2018 the Warisan led state government under Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal controversially amended the state constitution to uncap the limit on the number of terms a Governor could serve.
Many names had been speculated for Juhar's replacement and these included former chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman who was seen as a frontrunner to be Sabah's next governor.
Juhar had removed Musa hardly 36-hours after he was sworn in as Chief Minister following the 2018 general election with Shafie replacing him.
Musa took the matter to court but lost the legal challenge.
In July 2020, when Musa attempted to gain the majority in the Sabah assembly to take back the state government, Juhar agreed to dissolve the Sabah assembly on the request of Shafie. The move triggered a state election in September 2020.
A loose coalition of 10 parties under the banner of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) led by Hajiji (then the Sabah Bersatu chairman) and Sabah Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Bung Moktar Radin toppled Shafie's Warisan-Pakatan Harapan state government in the election.
Musa was not picked to defend his Sungai Sibuga seat as a Barisan candidate during the state election.
Since then, speculations were rife that Musa was a choice for Sabah governor position when Juhar's term ended.
