KOTA KINABALU, Sept 27 — Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin today said that the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Juhar Mahiruddin has asked for some time to decide on who will be appointed as the next Sabah chief minister.

Following a meeting with Tun Juhar and three other party leaders under the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), Bung assured that Tun Juhar will decide "as soon as possible.”

"He asked for time,” he said when asked by reporters upon his departure from the Istana Negeri.

Earlier, Sabah Perikatan Nasional chief Datuk Hajiji Noor also told reporters that Juhar will decide who will be appointed chief minister.

The meeting was also attended by Parti Bersatu Sabah secretary-general Datuk Jahid Jahim and Parti Solidarity Tanah Airku president Datuk Jeffrey Kitingan. 

There has been a stalemate in discussions for the position within the winning GRS alliance.

Bung Moktar and Hajiji have both been touted as possible chief minister candidates, with lengthy negotiations taking place since the election results were announced past midnight last night. 

Perikatan Nasional technically has more seats than Barisan Nasional in the 73-seat State Assembly.

After the final tally, Umno (BN) has 14 seats, Bersatu and STAR have 17 seats and Parti Bersatu Sabah has seven.

There are three independent candidates, with two aligned to Perikatan Nasional.