Everybody Loves Raymond Tan...(2)

Tan's Cabinet status for PM Daily Express Kota Kinabalu: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman will meet Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi soon to discuss Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah's position in the State Cabinet and Barisan Nasional (BN). "Yes, we (State Cabinet) discussed it just now and for the time being he (Tan) will continue his duties as a Deputy Chief Minister and Infrastructure Development Minister," he said when met after chairing the Cabinet meeting Wednesday. "Besides meeting with the Prime Minister I will also be consulting my BN component colleagues to seek their views on the matter," he said, adding that Tan was also present at the meeting. Tan, a Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Deputy President, tendered his resignation letter on Monday after the party decided to pull out of BN. However, Musa told him to remain in the two posts pending a decision. However, some leaders in the BN like Kalabakan MP Datuk Abdul Ghapur Salleh, Liberal Democratic Party President Datuk VK Liew and Upko Secretary-General Wilfred Madius Tangau have expressed reservations. Ghapur had expressed fear that allowing an independent to hold positions in the Government could pose trouble for the coalition while Liew noted that such a move was unprecedented. There have also been questions posed by fellow BN component Parti Bersatu Sabah in allowing Deputy State Assembly Speaker Datuk Frankie Chong to continue in that post despite being aligned to SAPP President Datuk Yong Teck Lee, who had openly been campaigning for the Prime Minister's resignation or alternatively supporting a no-confidence vote against Abdullah in Parliament. In Labuan, another of Yong's loyalists said he received the go-ahead from Labuan Corporation head-cum-Labuan Chairman Datuk Suhaili to remain in the Labuan Advisory Council. Meanwhile, Musa said he had received resignation letters from two other SAPP members, namely Assistant State Finance Minister Melanie Chia and Sabah Economic Development Corporation Deputy Chairman Datuk Liew Teck Chan as well as Science Advisor to the Chief Minister Datuk Tham Nyip Shen. A co-founder of SAPP, Tham had on Tuesday announced he was also quitting the party. As for the replacements to fill up the many vacated posts following the mass resignations of the SAPP leaders after the party ditched the BN last week, Musa said it would be looked into later. It is not known how many vacancies have arisen following the resignations of SAPP members holding community leader posts like PKRs and JKKK heads.