By Social Activist Remy Majangkim
KOTA KINABALU: It is now official that the 11th Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sabah (TYT) will be Tan Sri Musa Aman. He is set to replace Tun Juhar Mahiruddin on the first day of the new year—2025.
Tan Sri Musa Aman has received his appointment letter from the Yang di-Pertuan Agung, Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Sultan Iskandar.
Under the Sabah State Constitution Article 1 (1), it says, “(1) There shall be a Head of State for Sabah, to be called the Yang di-Pertua Negeri, who shall be appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong acting in his discretion but after consultation with the Chief Minister.”
This indicates that the Chief Minister of Sabah, Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji bin Haji Noor, holds complete authority to recommend to the Conferences of Rulers regarding the appointment of the new TYT of Sabah.
Tun Juhar Mahiruddin is the longest-serving TYT to date at 14 years, while the shortest-serving is Tun Datuk Ahmad Koroh, who served for less than a year. Our current TYT has endured multiple Sabah constitutional crises stemming from the 2018 Sabah State election, seeing the battle between Warisan leader Datuk Shafie Apdal and the incoming TYT, Tan Sri Musa Aman.
We should acknowledge the recent collapse of Pakatan Harapan 1.0 and the brutal takeover by Perikatan Nasional in early 2020. ADUN members from Warisan began to jump ship, leaving the then Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, no choice but to call for a snap election. Interestingly, Warisan once again secured the mandate of the people by the State Constitution under Article 6(7), which pertains to the leader of a political party. However, a compromise was reached behind closed doors, leading Warisan to bow down from its position while Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji was declared the winner and became the new Chief Minister of Sabah.
Article 6(7) from the Sabah State Constitution is a deeming provision argued to be the first anti-hopping law enacted during Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) as the State Government. However, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) sees it fit together with the author of the bill to repeal it. So it does.
It comes full circle, and it was probably a stroke of genius from Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji to appoint the Warisan archrival as the new TYT of Sabah. Sabah’s political landscape is not for the faint-hearted, and it comes with twisted tales from colourful personalities.
The social media was up in arms about his recent appointment. Activist Siti Kasim was quoted saying, “Can’t there be anyone else out of 30 million people in Malaysia?” There is even a social media movement, #notmyTYT. Behind closed doors, in drinking sessions, the discussion leaned towards why the Madani Government did not object to his appointment. Did they have anything to do with it?
The 2025 Sabah State election represents a significant opportunity for the people of Malaysia to observe the Madani Government working together in the crucial fight against corruption or not. As Sabah voters, your voices matter immensely, and this election will empower you to influence the changes that impact your lives and communities. Your choices hold the promise of a brighter future for all.
