IT will not just be members of parliament and assemblymen who are expected to abandon Sabah Umno, but a meeting scheduled this afternoon could see an exodus from the party.

Party sources said the meeting has been called for all Umno division heads to meet at a five-star hotel in Kota Kinabalu today, where state liaison chief Hajiji Mohd Noor is expected to attend.  

The meeting called by party secretary Masidi Manjun is purportedly to discuss the future of Sabah Umno.

“All division heads, except Kinabatangan, Tenom and Sepanggar, will likely attend the meet today,” the source said.

The meeting will hear the views of all division heads, before Hajiji makes an official announcement tomorrow at 1pm at Hilton hotel, the eve of the special assembly sitting.

An exodus of politicians from parties is nothing unusual in Sabah.

United Sabah National Organisation (Usno) experienced the same in the 1975 which saw the formation of Berjaya, while Berjaya suffered the same in 1985 when Parti Bersatu Sabah was formed.

Usno was dissolved to make way for Umno to enter Sabah in 1990, while Berjaya lost most of its members.

It is understood Kinabatangan MP Bung Moktar Radin, Tenom division chief Rubin Balang and Sepanggar division chief Yaakob Khan have refused to leave Sabah Umno.

But sources said Tenom and Sepanggar will eventually come around to realise that Sabah Umno no longer has a place among Sabahans.

Last night, an emergency meeting was also held by the Kota Kinabalu Umno chief Faisyal Diego, but a member from the division told The Malaysian Insight “not all were keen about leaving Umno.”

Currently, Umno has five MPs from Sabah, and it has 10 state assemblymen.

They are Abd Rahim Bakri (Kudat), Azizah Mohd Dun (Beaufort), Ronald Kiandee (Beluran), Zakaria Mohd Edris (Libraran) and Bung Moktar.

Four are expected to announce their decision to quit the party today and become independents supporting the ruling Pakatan Harapan government.

The state reps are Hajiji (Sulaman), Masidi (Karanaan), Bolkiah Ismail (Pitas), Musbah Jamli (Tampasuk), Japlin Akim (Usukan), Ghulamhaidar Khan Bahadar (Kawang), Mohd Ariffin Arif (Membakut), Isnin Aliasnih (Klias), Matbali Musah (Lumadan), Musa Aman (Sg Sibuga) and Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan (Apas). – December 11, 2018.