Photo: Bernama
How will the Sabah political turmoil end?
The ending is unclear, as the fate of the state may depend on politicians in Kuala Lumpur.
Sabah Chief Minister and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor (pic) lost his majority on Friday after Umno, with 13 assemblymen out of 18, decided to quit the state government.
ALSO READ: POLITICS: Can Hajiji weather this political storm?
Without Umno's 13, Hajiji officially has 35 assemblymen. They are 29 GRS assemblymen (15 GRS direct members who quit Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, seven Parti Bersatu Sabah, six Sabah Star and one SAPP) plus five Umno rebels and one from PAS.
The Sulaman assemblyman needs at least 40 assemblymen in the 79-seat state assembly to remain in power.
Hajiji faces a political Sophie's choice (a tough decision a person has to make).
Choice number one is return to previous status quo.
ALSO READ: POLITICS: Playground battle to be Sabah CM
Umno to remain in the Sabah government, and they pretend that the political turmoil was just a storm in a teacup.
Sabah Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin will remain Deputy Chief Minister and state Works Minister.
Status quo means Hajiji has: GRS 29 assemblymen + Umno 18 + PAS 1 = 48, which is more than enough to snuff Parti Warisan president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal's dream to be chief minister again.
Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is expected to fly to Kota Kinabalu today to offer that deal with Hajiji.
Choice number two is status quo but with a Cabinet reshuffle.
ALSO READ: Revolt in Hajiji-led govt
The power that be in Putrajaya wants Hajiji to remain as chief minister with the condition that he gives up the finance minister post. The talk is Putrajaya prefers Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak to helm the post.
On Friday, Hajiji sacked Salleh, who is Umno's Usukan assemblyman, as chairman of state investment arm Qhazanah Sabah for being involved in a plot to oust him as chief minister.
Salleh, a former Sabah chief minister, is close to the top leadership of PKR.
The third is Hajiji's choice.
He prefers to form a government with Pakatan Harapan, which is in the state opposition.
If Pakatan pledged its support for the GRS chairman, it would be: GRS 29 + Pakatan Harapan seven + Umno rebels five + PAS one + plus one or two small parties = 42 to 44.
Sabah PH chairman and PKR's Api-Api state assemblyman Datuk Christina Liew and Sabah DAP chairman and Tanjung Papat assemblyman are expected to be offered ministerial posts in Hajiji's Cabinet.
Hajiji plans to swear them in tomorrow. But now he has a Sophie's choice to make.
If the Sabah Chief Minister can't withstand the pressure from Kuala Lumpur, he might decide for Sabahans to decide on their state's fate. He might request the consent of Sabah Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Juhar Mahiruddin to dissolve the 27-month-old coalition government.
But, there is no guarantee that Juhar would consent. And, the Yang di-Pertua Negeri may deem the dissolution letter as Hajiji quitting as chief minister.
Like Sophie, Hajiji has a tough choice.
