FOUR Sabah Umno lawmakers suspected to be planning to quit the party were not present on the final day of the 2018 first session of the 14th Parliament.

Umno has five MPs in Sabah, who are Abd Rahim Bakri (Kudat), Azizah Mohd Dun (Beaufort), Ronald Kiandee (Beluran), Zakaria Mohd Edris (Libraran) and Bung Moktar Radin (Kinabatangan).

Bung, who is said to staying at Umno, was also absent from Parliament,

The four other MPs are believed to be preparing to call a press conference in Kota Kinabalu tomorrow to announce their defection.

Umno secretary-general Annuar Musa had confirmed the four were facing financial difficulties since Umno ceased to be the ruling party in Sabah.

The party was unable to help them out as it was itself also strapped for money as its accounts had been frozen, he added.

Kimanis MP Anifah Aman and Labuan MP Rozman Isli had quit Umno in September and October, respectively.

Yamani Hafez, the son of former Sabah chief minister Musa Aman and Sipitang MP, has yet to take his oath of office and has until January 15 to do so if he wishes to keep the seat.

In the May general election, Umno Sabah only managed to win eight of the state’s 26 parliamentary seats.

Sabah Barisan Nasional was disbanded soon after the polls and Umno has since formed the opposition pact, Gabungan Bersatu Sabah with  Parti Bersatu Sabah, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku, and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah. – December 12, 2018.