KOTA KINABALU: Three Sabah assemblymen from Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) expressed their belief today that Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor no longer commanded majority support as Sabah Chief Minister.

KDM president Datuk Peter Anthony said the matter refers to the Sabah state constitution, which states that the Chief Minister is the leader of the party that commands the majority of seats in the Sabah state assembly.

"Therefore, under Article 7(1) of the Sabah state constitution, Sulaman assemblyman Datuk SeriHajiji Noor must resign his post immediately," he said in a statement here last night.

He added that KDM would leave the matter to Yang Dipertua Negeri Sabah Tun Juhar Mahiruddin to decide on the appointment of a new chief minister based on what is enshrined in the Sabah state constitution.

The Sabah assembly has 79 assemblymen, 73 elected and six appointed.

With KDM's decision, along with the retraction of support by Sabah UMNO and BN tonight, the state government led by Hajiji now has the support of only 38 assemblymen, 29 from GRS, PH (seven), Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah (one) and an independent.

Parti Warisan has 19 seats, BN (18), KDM (three) while PAS has one seat.

-- BERNAMA