Tan Drops as Sabah Deputy Chief Minister

Raymond Tan (centre) has been dropped as Deputy Chief Minister, replaced by Peter Pang En Yin (left). At right is Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman.

UPDATE

Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah who joined peninsula-based Parti Gerakan last week has been replaced as Sabah Deputy Chief Minister by Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Peter Pang En Yin but retained as a Minister in a minor State Cabinet reshuffle.
Tan, former deputy president of the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) which pulled out of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in September last year, was partyless for almost nine months until he joined Gerakan.
Pang is a Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Vice President and Karamunting Assemblyman.
The announcement ended much speculation and debate on who would be the Deputy Chief Minister under the Chinese quota. Pang's appointment also marked another milestone for LDP because his predecessor Tan took over the post after it was vacated by former LDP President Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat about 25 months ago.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said Tan, who had held the Infrastructure Development portfolio, would now Industrial Development Minister, taking over from Datuk Ewon Ebin who has been appointed Rural Development Minister.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan, who had held the rural development portfolio, has been appointed Infrastructure Development Minister.
Musa who announced this after chairing a State Cabinet meeting, Wednesday, also announced the appointment of LDP Merotai Assemblyman Pang Yuk Ming as Assistant Infrastructure Development Minister, replacing Datuk Michael Asang who has been appointed Assistant Industrial Development Minister.
Datuk Jainab Ahmad Ayid, who was Assistant Industrial Development Minister, has been appointed Assistant Resource Development and Information Technology Minister, taking over from Donald Peter Mojuntin who has been appointed Assistant Finance Minister.
The portfolios of the other ministers and assistant ministers remain unchanged. Musa said the appointments were made after getting the views of the leaders of the BN component parties and the agreement of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
"With the new Cabinet line-up, our agenda of giving priority to the people remains and we will continue to focus on working more and talking less," he said.
Musa hoped that Tan's position in the Cabinet would no longer be politicised, a matter he described as a waste of time and did not bring any benefit.
"Much remains to be implemented in terms of development which surely demands the commitment of the leaders and the undivided support of the people to bring success,"
Musa called on all leaders to pool their resources and cooperate to improve the lot of the people and develop Sabah.
On the position of Datuk Japlin Akim whose Umno membership was suspended for three years by the party's disciplinary board, Musa said he was still Assistant Infrastructure Development Minister.

Tan will be Gerakan VP

Partyless Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah, who joined Parti Gerakan on May 5, 2009, will be made the party's national Vice President. Elopura assemblyman Au Kam Wah, who also joined Party Gerkan on the same day will be made a member of the party's central committee.

This was announced by Parti Gerakan's president Senator Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon in a Press conference in Kota Kinabalu today.

Koh, who is Minister in the Prime Minister's Department said the appointment would be formalised during the party's central committee meeting very soon.

Tan and Au, who are former deputy president and Youth chief, respectively, of Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), had been without a party when SAPP pulled out from the national coalition government Barisan Nasional on Sept 17, 2008. They opted to stay pun in BN, saying that they won their respective seats on BN tickets.

On whether Tan could keep his Cabinet post now that he had joined Parti Gerakan, Koh said appointment of ministers in Sabah was the prerogative of the Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman.

"Tan and Au joined Parti Gerakan as a matter of principle (they won on BN ticket) and not due to position," Koh said. Tan, who is Tanjong papat assemblyman is also Infrastructure Development Minister.

Tan's position will be known next week

Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah, who is joining Gerakan after more than seven months without a party, will know by next week whether he can keep his post as deputy chief minister.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman said he would make an announcement on the matter in a week’s time.

He said views from all parties had been considered but declined to give details to reporters who pressed him for answers on Tan’s position, including if there would be changes in the state cabinet line-up.

“It is better for you to wait. You will know by next week,” Musa, who is Sabah Barisan Nasional chairman, told reporters after declaring open the International Inner Wheel Convention at the Magellan Sutera Resort in Kota Kinabalu Thursday.
Tan quit the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) along with Elopura assemblyman Au Kam Wah after the party left the BN on Sept 17 last year.

Tan, who is Tanjung Papat assemblyman, was the party’s deputy president while Au was its youth chief.On Monday, Tan and Au said they had decided to join Gerakan.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who was asked during a visit to Sabah about Tan’s position in the cabinet, said it was Musa’s prerogative to decide on the matter.

Several BN component party leaders had for months been urging Tan to resign as he did not belong to any party.

Good Luck says Majimbun

The opposition Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Deputy President Datuk Eric Majimbun wished former members Datuk Raymond Tan and Au Kam Wah success in their new party, Gerakan.
"I congratulate and wish them success...their political struggles are different from SAPP which is more on the interests of Sabah and its people, and without any self-interest," Majimbun, said. On another development, Eric who is Sepanggar Member of Parliament, urged the Federal Government to be flexible with regard to the requirements of any vacancy available in the public sector in Sabah.
He said this is because he had received a complaint from a successful applicant here who has been asked to report for duty as a government general administration clerk (Grade N27) at Putrajaya in Kuala Lumpur, although the vacancy is supposedly in Sabah.
It was advertised online through the Public Services Department (PSD) website which showed there were 400 vacancies available under this particular grade in Sabah, he said, adding that the successful applicants were however required to fly over and report for duty at Putrajaya.
"I just cannot understand it. Why when the vacancies are available in Sabah they are asked to go and report for duty in Putrajaya ... this is like an attempt to discourage our people in Sabah to work in the public sector, even in their own State," he said.

Tan an Au joins Gerakan

This up-date is from HERE

KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Raymond Tan will join Gerakan, a peninsula-based party, after being partyless for almost nine months.Gerakan national chairman Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon made the announcement minutes before Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's arrival for the meet-the-people session at Padang Merdeka here, Tuesday.Former Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Youth chief and state assemblyman for Elopura Au Kam Wah also made a similar commitment.Dr Koh thanked Tan and Au for choosing Gerakan as the political platform to continue their struggle with the Barisan Nasional (BN) and said that both would hand over their application forms to Gerakan soon."We welcome their commitment to join Gerakan. Raymond and Au have been my friends and Gerakan's friends for over 15 years and have jointly struggled for Sabahans and Malaysians in general within the BN," he said.He said their decision was apt and understandable as Gerakan was a multiracial party and its door was always open to Malaysians.He said Najib, as BN chairman, and Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman had been informed of Tan and Au's decision and had given their blessing.Asked whether Tan, former deputy president of SAPP, would be given a post in Gerakan, Dr Koh said that he would make the announcement at the appropriate time.Speaking to reporters later, Tan said: "I have chosen Gerakan because Gerakan is a safe home and it is the home that I have been looking for"."I didn't do it just because I picked what I like. I think it's more of what the grassroots want. It doesn't matter what happens to me. What is important is the people who have been with me and I told that I would find them a home."It's not easy because we have to talk to so many component party leaders and all of them are very supportive of me. I think this is the time that I have to make a decision and Tan Sri (Koh Tsu Koon) is no stranger to us for many years," he said.Asked on the call for him to relinquish his deputy chief minister's post, he said: "These people who make statements against me or who are angry with me will probably continue to do but it doesn't matter. I understand their feelings but it's more important that they understand me".Tan, who is also state Infrastructure Development minister, became partyless after SAPP left the BN coalition on Sept 17 last year.Prior to this, several parties had called on Tan to quit his posts as deputy chief minister and Infrastructure Development minister.Even Umno leaders like Kalabakan MP Datuk Abdul Ghapur Salleh had hinted that the BN had never agreed to have independent BN supporters.At the same time, the option of forming a new party raised objections from the same component parties who were not in favour of Tan being retained in the cabinet, leaving him with very few political options.-- BERNAMA

Gerakan is Tan's choice???

Partyless Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah is likely to join Peninsula-based Parti Gerakan to remain in Barisan Nasional and also to keep his State Cabinet post. The Tanjong Papat's assemblyman is said to announce this in the presence of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who will arrive in Kota Kinabalu this evening for a-two-day official visit.

Parti Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon is also among in Najib's entourage in his first visit to Sabah since becoming Prime Minister on April 9, this year.

Tan will be accompanied by Elopura's assemblyman Au Kam Wah in joining Parti Gerakan. With Tan and Au in Parti Gerakan, the party will be represented in the State Cabinet with two assemblymen and a Deputy Chief Minister. Tan is also Infrastructure Development Minister.

Tan and Au had been without a party since Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) quit from BN on Sept 17, last year. They became partyless but stay put in BN saying that they won their respective seats on BN ticket in the March 8, 2008 general elections.