KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 — Datuk Masidi Manjun today suggested a long story behind the abrupt exchange of portfolios with Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin in the Sabah state Cabinet just hours after their appointment.
The Sabah Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia deputy chairman was initially announced as state works minister while Bung who is Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) chief was appointed local government and housing minister.
“What a day! Less than 3 hours after being appointed Works Minister, I am now Local Government & Housing Minister. I swapped job with Bung. Please don’t ask me the reasons. I will tell all after I retire,” Masidi tweeted this afternoon.
What a day! Less than 3 hours after being appointed Works Minister , I am now Local Government & Housing Minister. I swapped job with Bung. Please don’t ask me the reasons. I will tell all after i retire.
— Masidi Manjun (@MasidiM) September 29, 2020
The switch was made by Chief Minister Datuk Hajiji Mohd Noor just hours after he took his oath of office, fuelling rumours of yet another internal tussle, this time between BN and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia over the choice of portfolios.
Bung immediately sought to extinguish such rumours, putting down the minor reshuffle as a “miscommunication”.
“There was no issue, it was just a mere miscommunication; we are happy that we are part of the government.
“These changes can happen according to our needs, so there is no issue,” he replied to reporters in Kota Kinabalu when asked.
As a result, Bung is now the Sabah works minister on top of being one of the three Sabah deputy chief ministers while Masidi now holds the local government and housing minister on top of his other role as the state’s second finance minister.
Hajiji’s given reason for the reshuffling was to load Masidi with more responsibilities.
He said he needs Masidi’s experience to help him boost Sabah’s economy.
