KOTA KINABALU, April 16 — After a 10-month hiatus from the State Assembly here, former Sabah chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman returned for a brief but punchy appearance in today’s sitting.

During his hour-long attendance, the Sungai Sibuga assemblyman wasted no time in posing several questions to the state government, including successor Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal.

During the first question posed by Tambunan assemblyman Datuk Jeffrey Kitingan, Musa asked Shafie a supplementary question on whether the current government has continued regular exercise of rounding up illegals and deporting them back home.

"Every month before we would ensure they were deported back to their home country. This was when the Tambunan assemblyman was chairing the relevant committee.

"Has this been carried out all the months under the leadership of the new government?” he asked, for the first time as an Opposition lawmaker.

There was no incident until the next time Musa stood up, this time to ask state Infrastructure Development Minister Datuk Peter Anthony if the latter was labouring under "wishful thinking” in proposing the construction of a 175km rail service from Kota Kinabalu to Kudat.

"Is this just wishful thinking on the part of the new government when there are lots of infrastructure and projects that have yet to be carried out?

"The cost of such a project is too high that it seems to be just fantasy and not possible,” Musa said, using the word Malay word angan-angan.

However, Deputy Speaker Datuk Ahmad Abdul Rahman at this point chastised Musa for the use of language and said that Musa, as a former CM, should be careful in his choice of words.

He asked Musa to sit down, stating that the latter should know the decorum in the sitting and use phrases like Di dewan yang mulia ini.

Musa complied and rephrased his question.

Musa left after Question Time, leaving a small entourage of aides and bodyguards in his wake. He did not answer questions from waiting journalists, saying he would do so when ready.

The former chief minister had not attended any of the five state assembly sessions last year including one special sitting, save for showing up to take his oath as an assemblyman in September.

He is also facing several charges of money laundering and corruption in Kuala Lumpur, where he was seen yesterday.

He has been keeping a low public profile and not been seen out otherwise. It is believed he has been travelling back to Sabah of late.