SABAH Umno lawmakers will wait for the outcome of Musa Aman’s challenge against Shafie Apdal as chief minister before deciding whether to jump ship, several party leaders said. 

For now, these leaders said, everyone was speaking in hushed tones about abandoning the Barisan Nasional lynchpin party, but they are expected to make their move to Warisan or form a new political platform should the high court rule in Shafie’s favour.

Musa, who was former Sabah BN chairman-cum-state Umno liaision chief, is challenging Shafie’s appointment as chief minister, claiming it is unlawful and unconstitutional.

Apart from Shafie, he also named Head of State Juhar Mahiruddin in the suit.

Musa’s challenge is based on the fact that he had taken the oath as chief minister on May 10. Juhar only appointed Shafie two days later.

The case is set for hearing beginning tomorrow.

Following the 14th general election, Sabah was stuck with a hung assembly, with Warisan-Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional tied with 29 seats, leaving Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku the kingmaker after it won the Bingkor and Tambunan state seats, and the Keningau parliamentary seat.

The political situation in Sabah fell into more uncertainty when United Pasok Momogun KadazanDusun Murut Organisation (Upko) left BN for Warisan, taking three state seats and one parliamentary seat with it.

Sabah Umno won seven parliamentary seats in GE14 but two lawmakers have since quit to become independents, leaving it with 11 state and five parliamentary seats.

The five federal seats are Kinabatangan, Kudat, Sipitang, Beaufort, Beluran and Libaran.

Sources told The Malaysian Insight that it was not just MPs and assemblymen waiting for the outcome of the trial but also many Umno division and branch leaders.

Kimanis MP Anifah Aman and Sukau assemblyman Saddi Abdul Rahman recently left Umno to become independents, aligning themselves to the state coalition Gabungan Bersatu Sabah (GBS).

GBS is a new coalition comprising Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku, Parti Bersatu Sabah and Sabah Umno.

Anifah, however, has hinted at launching a new political platform, which will then join GBS as a member party.

Sources said other Umno members expected to follow Anifah are Kinabatangan MP Bung Mokhtar Radin and Libaran MP Zakaria Edris.

Sources also revealed that Bung and Kudat MP Rahim Bakri, who have fallen out of favour with Musa, had attempted to join Warisan but that Warisan chief Shafie did not want the Kinabatangan lawmaker in the party.

“The chief minister had said in private that the party will negotiate with others, but not Bung,” the source said. 

Warisan had accepted the membership of Labuan Umno MP Rozman Isli into the party on October 12.

Meanwhile, the situation within the state BN coalition has not fared better.

Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) vice-president and Sook assemblyman Ellron Angin had made it clear that he would announce his departure from the party soon.

It is believed ties between him and party president Joseph Kurup and deputy president, Arthur Kurup, have soured.

“The decision to leave (PBRS) has already been made. But I won’t announce it just yet,” Angin said.

A recent meeting between several senior Sabah opposition members and PKR president-elect and incoming prime minister Anwar Ibrahim also sparked speculation over the uncertain political situation in Sabah. – October 24, 2018.