KOTA KINABALU, April 16 — After missing four previous Sabah assembly meetings, former chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman made a surprise showing at today’s sitting here.

Musa, surrounded by a small entourage, arrived at the State Legislative Assembly Building at about 9.50am dressed in a dark suit with a songkok and walked with the aid of a cane before heading into the hall.

He took his seat among the decimated Opposition bench, next to Tambunan assemblyman Datuk Jeffrey Kitingan, where he greeted some of them.

With Musa making his first appearance as Sungai Sibuga assemblyman after some 10 months of absence, Kitingan announced the former will now be the state Opposition leader.

This is despite Musa being the only Umno representative among their ranks; Parti Bersatu Sabah has five assemblymen and Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku, two.

Musa stayed for the question-and-answer session and even posed several questions to the state government before leaving at 11.05am.

When approached by reporters, he did not stop to respond to queries but returned some greetings.

"I’m fine, thank you,” he said, followed by "I will do my best,” when asked about his new role as state Opposition leader.

Before getting into his silver Jaguar car, he told reporters he will talk when he is ready.

Since the change of government in the general election, Musa had not attended previous assembly meetings except for an appearance to take his oath in September to avoid disqualification.

Musa is facing multiple charges of money laundering in Kuala Lumpur in connection with timber deals when he had been Sabah chief minister and attended a hearing there yesterday.

His presence today caught most by surprise but there had been rumours that he would appear yesterday.

Speaker Datuk Syed Abbas Syed Ali previously told reporters that Sabah assemblymen need only attend one sitting a year to retain their seat in the House.