KOTA KINABALU: Following the landslide victory of Democratic Action Party (DAP) candidate Vivian Wong Shir Yee in the Sandakan by-election, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Shafie Apdal is expected to announce a minor reshuffle in the State Cabinet soon to fill the position of the Minister of Health and People’s Wellbeing that fell vacant with the sudden demise of the late Datuk Stephen Wong Tien Fatt.
In this matter, DAP Sabah secretary Chan Foong Hin said the party had submitted its recommendation for the State Cabinet post.
He said it was time to fill the position of the Minister of Health and People’s Wellbeing.
Stephen passed away on March 28 this year due to a heart attack.
For the time being, Shafie has appointed the Sabah Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Frankie Poon, who is also the deputy chairman of DAP Sabah, as the acting Minister of Health and People’s Wellbeing.
Meanwhile, Stephen’s daughter, Vivian, has won the Sandakan parliamentary seat with a majority of 11,521 votes in the by-election on May 11.
Chan, who is also the Member of Parliament for Kota Kinabalu, believed that the Chief Minister would announce a minor reshuffle in the State Cabinet very soon.
When asked, he said the vacant State Cabinet position should be replaced with an existing DAP assemblyman.
“We have submitted the party’s recommendation to the Chief Minister earlier,” he said, adding that only one name was submitted for the vacant post.
On who the nominee is, Chan said the individual was one of the existing DAP assemblymen.
“One thing is certain, that individual is definitely not me.”
He also declined to comment when asked if Vivan would be appointed to shoulder a heavier role.
It is speculated that the Minister of Health and People’s Wellbeing post will be filled by a Chinese assemblyman from DAP.
DAP assemblyman in Sabah include Poon (Sri Tanjong) Assistant Finance Minister Datuk Jimmy Wong (Sri Tanjong), Assistant Minister of Law and Native Affairs Jannie Lasimbang (Kapayan), Phoong Jin Zhe (Luyang), Calvin Chong Ket Kiun (Elopura) and Tan Lee Fatt (Likas).