Malaysia's Sabah state gets new chief

Malaysia's Sabah state gets new chief

KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia (AFP): Malaysian Premier Mahathir
Mohamad yesterday appointed a new chief minister for politically-
volatile Sabah to enhance federal control over the state, which
was wrestled away from the opposition 10 months ago.

Salleh Mohamed Said Keruak, 37, was sworn in as the ninth and
youngest chief minister of eastern Sabah state before his father,
Sabah governor Mohamed Said Keruak, in Kota Kinabalu, the capital
of Sabah.

Salleh's appointment followed the resignation of his 64-year
old predecessor, Sakaran Dandai, who is tipped to replace Keruak
as governor.

Salleh, a former civil servant, was chosen to head the state
by Mahathir, who led the federal National Front coalition
government to end the dominance in Sabah of the Christian-backed
Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS).

The PBS's control of oil- and timber-rich Sabah eroded in
February, following massive defections of its legislators to the
National Front.

Mahathir had promised Sabah residents that the National Front
would rotate the state's chief ministership biennially among its
three main ethnic groups -- Malays, Kadazans and Chinese.

Sakaran, who headed the Sabah chapter of Mahathir's Moslem-
based United Malays National Organization (UMNO), was chief
minister for nine months after the National Front victory.

Salleh will complete the remainder of the first two-year
period allotted to the Malays, officials said.

Mahathir is widely expected to call for elections very soon,
although the National Front's five-year mandate does not expire
until October. Officials said a firm grip on Sabah would be vital
for the UMNO.