MORE than half of Sabah Umno’s top leaders quit the party today, calling into question the viability of the party’s chapter in the state.

Hajiji Mohd Noor, who was the Sabah Umno liaison chief and now the leader of the group leaving the party, said five MPs, nine assemblymen and 21 division heads will leave, taking with them more than 50% of the half a million Umno members in the Bornean state.

The MPs decision to quit Umno reduces the party to 43 lawmakers in Parliament and only one assemblyman in the state legislature.

Hajiji also pledged their allegiance to the Pakatan Harapan Government, the prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad as well as the Sabah Warisan-led government, helmed by Mohd Shafie Apdal.

“Sabah Umno has the largest number of members in the country numbering to more than half a million. 

“There is no bitterness towards Umno, just disappointment. But our decision comes after taking a long hard look at the position of Umno.

“It is based on this that we have decided that it’s time for us to chart our own future,” he told reporters at a hotel in Kota Kinabalu.

He said the elected office holders of the group will remain independents for now, but are in talks with the opposition Gabungan Bersatu Sabah coalition.

GBS is made of the remnants of what used to be Barisan Nasional parties in Sabah led by former chief minister Musa Aman.

“We will remain independent until a time we find a new party suitable for us,” said Hajiji.

Four MPs leaving today are Abd Rahim Bakri (Kudat), Azizah Mohd Dun (Beaufort), Ronald Kiandee (Beluran) and Zakaria Mohd Edris (Libaran)

Yamani Hafez Musa (Sipitang), the son of Musa, has yet to take his oath of office and has until January 15 to do so if he wishes to keep the parliamentary seat. But his whereabouts are unknown.

Hajiji said they have contacted Yamani Hafez and had expressed his intention to leave Umno.

Colourful Kinabatangan MP Bung Moktar Radin is staying put, along with Sibuga assemblyman Musa Aman.

In the May general election, Sabah Umno won eight of the state’s 26 parliamentary seats.

But two of them, Kinmanis MP and former foreign minister Anifah Aman, and Labuan MP Rozman Isli left the party earlier. Anifah is now an independent while Rozman joined Warisan.

The 11 other Sabah assemblymen leaving Umno are Masidi Manjun (Karanaan), Rahim Ismail (Pantai Manis), Japlin Akim (Usukan), Mohd Ariffin Mohd Arif (Membakut), Jamli (Tampasuk), Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan (Apas), Isnin Aliasnih (Klias), Jusli Ajirul (Gum-Gum), Musbah Jamli (Tampasuk) and Ghulam Bahadar Khan (Kawang).

Senators Ghani Yassin and John Ambrose are also abandoning Umno.

Other high-profile leaders leaving are Umno Supreme Council members Pandikar Amin Mulia, who was Dewan Rakyat speaker, and Salleh Said Keruak, who is Kota Belud division head and was a staunch defender of former prime minister Najib Razak when allegations of financial malfeasance on 1MDB were circulating in international media.

Also leaving are 25 the state’s Wanita and Puteri division heads.

Only 12 Umno Youth division chiefs decided to abandon the party.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has called for a press conference later today to spell out the supreme council’s position on the state chapter’s collapse.

The  Malaysian Insight reported yesterday that Sabah Umno was on the verge of collapse after four of its MPs were set to leave the party and become independents supportive of the federal government

Today, despite the presence of two Bersatu supreme council members – Dr Rais Hussin Mohd Ariff and Rafiq Naizamohideen – at the press conference, the Umno leaders said they were not joining Bersatu.

Masidi, who was Sabah Umno secretary, said “at this point everything remains speculative”.

The move effectively cripples Umno as a political force in Sabah, as most of its leaders in the state are now gone.

Sabah Umno Youth chief Abd Aziz Julkarnain said Sabah Umno will not be dissolved as most of the deputy division heads will now take over the activities and programmes of the party.

“Umno in Sabah will remain intact as it is a very structured and organised party,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Umno secretary-general Annuar Musa yesterday confirmed that some of Sabah party men wanted out as they could not cope with the financial strain brought about by constituents’ demands after Umno ceased to be the ruling party in state.

The party’s central leadership is unable to help them out as it, too, is cash strapped after its accounts were frozen by the authorities in probes linked to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal.

However, Annuar said the state chapter could not dissolve itself as only the Umno Supreme Council could do so. – December 12, 2018.