The new Sabah cabinet will be formed soon, said new Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal.

Mohd Shafie, who assumed office today as the head of the state government, also gave the assurance that he would announce the cabinet line-up soon.

“Very soon. Whatever form, the announcement will come. Let it be a surprise,” he said to reporters after clocking in at his office at the Sabah State Government Administrative Centre in Kota Kinabalu today.

Also present was Sabah state secretary Sukarti Wakiman.

Mohd Shafie said he would leave it to the wisdom of new Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to determine the representatives from Sabah to be included in the federal cabinet.

Asked about the readiness of several BN elected representatives to cross over to his Parti Warisan Sabah, Mohd Shafie said that was up to them.

"Some of them (BN assemblymen) had met me and expressed their support. However, we (Warisan) have forged an alliance with Upko and it is enough for us to form the state government,” he said.

He said that Warisan would look into the matter of BN assemblymen wanting to cross over and that the party had not set any conditions for their switch.

- Bernama