After finishing his further studies, he was designated as Kota Belud District Officer from 1984 to 1986 and later became a Political Secretary to the sitting Chief Minister's administration from 1986 to 1994.

His tenure as the state's Chief Minister ended on 28 May 1996 and was succeeded by Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) President, Yong Teck Lee.

On 4 January 2010, then-Chief Minister, Musa Aman, appointed him as his government's Science and Technology Adviser with ministerial rank.

[1] He succeeded Tham Nyip Shen, a former Deputy Chief Minister for the ethnic Chinese quota who hailed from Keningau.

He is currently married to Datin Seri Panglima Datuk Raya Erom (born 21 April 1963), an ethnic Kadazandusun woman of Lotud descent from Tuaran, since 18 December 1984.