KOTA KINABALU: The Yang Di-Pertuan Agong is expected to name a new governor for Sabah tomorrow.
However, the Sabah chief minister’s department has remained tight-lipped regarding who will be the new governor.
Among those said to be in the running are former chief ministers Musa Aman and Joseph Pairin Kitingan and former Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia. There is also speculation that incumbent governor Juhar Mahiruddin may be retained for another term.
Juhar was appointed the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah in January 2011. His term was supposed to end after two terms (eight years) but he was reappointed to the position in 2018 after the Warisan government amended the Sabah Constitution to remove the governorship’s two-term limit.
At the time, the opposition criticised the decision, claiming that Juhar’s re-appointment was a political reward for his alleged role in assisting Warisan to “seize” power from Sabah BN after the 2018 Sabah election.
Juhar was also blamed for agreeing with former chief minister Shafie Apdal’s request to dissolve the Sabah state assembly in 2020 after Shafie lost his majority to then-opposition leader Musa Aman.
In September, the Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association (KDCA) nominated its president Pairin to be the next governor.
Under the Sabah Constitution, there are no religious requirements for the position as the head of Islam in the state is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, not the governor.
The candidate for the post of Sabah governor must be nominated by the chief minister and endorsed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
— Tracy Bul