Ex-CM Salleh is new Speaker (Part 2)

It is not immediately known if Salleh would vacate the Finas post now that he is Sabah State Legislative Assembly Speaker. The Speaker's post is a full-time job and in terms of protocol he is second only to the Chief Minister who in turn is second only to the TYT or governor. He therefore also normally does not hold any other post like that of a chairmanship of another government body.

The Finas job will be Salleh's second appointment to head a federal government agency in recent years. Until last year, he was chairman of the Malaysian Handicraft Board.

Since last year too, Salleh has been Science Advisor to the Chief Minister with ministerial rank. He is expected to vacate this post before being sworn-in as Speaker in front of the new governor Juhar at the Istana (palace). Juhar was the Speaker until 31 December 2010. As mentioned earlier, the Speaker is even more senior than a Minister in terms of protocol.

Who will replace Salleh as Science Advisor, if any? This question will spark off another round of speculations in Sabah. Rumour-mongering is part of every day life in the State and it adds spice to politics especially in the coffeeshops.

Meanwhile, Datin Linda Tsen as most Sabahans would know is the widow of the late Datuk Edmund Chong who was killed in an accident a few months ago. She successfully defended her husband's parliamentary seat of Batu Sapi in the ensuing by-election on a BN ticket.

As chairperson of the Sabah Credit Corporation (SCC), she succeeds Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) secretary-general Datuk Teo Chee Kang who is now chairman of the Sabah Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (SCVB).

Observers noted that since Teo took over the SCVB job from the late Edmund who was from the Sabah United Party (PBS), it is only fair that his former job at SCC be given back to PBS through Datin Linda. Fair and square, as they say.