INDEPENDENT MPs and assemblymen from Sabah who left Umno en masse last month will decide on their next move by March, their leader, Sulaman assemblyman Hajiji Mohd Noor, said.

“It’s time for us to take a bit of a break. At the moment, we are still independents. We will make a decision within a month or two,” he told The Malaysian Insight. 

Hajiji led five MPs, nine assemblymen and 21 out of 25 Sabah Umno division heads out of the party citing a loss of confidence in Umno’s leadership. Hajiji had been Sabah Umno liaison chief.

About 50% of Sabah Umno’s 500,000 members also quit along with them.

The group was earlier rumoured to be forming the state chapter of Bersatu but national-level leaders had said the party, led by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, had a pact with Parti Warisan Sabah not to enter the state.

Warisan is led by Sabah Chief Minister Shafie Apdal.

With Bersatu out of the question in Sabah, the other options for the independents are to either join an existing state party or form a new one, as proposed by an earlier Umno defector, former minister and Kimanis MP Anifah Aman. 

After quitting Sabah Umno, Anifah had hinted at plans to form his own party. 

Other parties in the state are in the Gabungan Bersatu Sabah alliance, which has replaced the state Barisan Nasional contingent, minus Sabah Umno.

GBS comprises Parti Bersatu Sabah, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku and several former United Pasok Momogun KadazanDusun Murut Organisation leaders.

Sabah Umno is now led by Kinabatangan MP Bung Moktar Radin. – Bernama, January 4, 2019.