AN anonymous website, Katak Sabah, has emerged, days after an attempt by former Sabah chief minister Musa Aman to take over the state government through defections.

Information about the individual or group behind the website is scant but it declared itself as a “group of proud Sabahans” who are “not proud of our party-hopping politicians”.

“We want to this site to be a reference site and logging of all ‘hops’ made by our politicians as a mean to judge their honesty and dignity, especially when election time comes,” it said.

The site, which lists the 65 assemblymen, adds that the project is “By Sabahans for Sabahans”.

The idea to track party-hopping politicians was conceived in late June when talk was rife about more defection from the Warisan-led state government, it said.

Work on the site picked up speed after Musa announced that he had the support of 13 assemblymen who joined his camp.

“The time is right then for us to launch this website, (although) info is still being updated,” it said.

State elections are due in Sabah in about two months following the dissolution of the legislative assembly on July 30.

The dissolution follows claims by Sabah Umno’s Musa, the Sg Sibuga assemblyman, that he has the majority support of 33 lawmakers in the 65-member assembly.

Musa was acquitted of 46 corruption charges in June.

To back the claim, he said he had statutory declarations signed by assemblymen from Warisan -Pakatan Harapan and Upko who crossed over.

However, Chief Minister and Warisan president Mohd Shafie Apdal sought a dissolution of the assembly and was granted the request by Governor Juhar Mahiruddin.

Sabah has had a long history of political defections, despite outcry from voters.

The Katak Sabah site said it wanted to remind all Sabahans about the unreliability of their politicians.

“This site is to inform and to remind all Sabahans of our politicians non-stop hopping.

“Share our site. Tell your friends! Share with us any new updates regarding your favourite katak,” it said, urging internet users to fill in the contact form on the site.

It also posted a link to an article with unverified claims that each assemblyman was offered up to RM20 million to switch sides.

The elections, Sabah’s 16th state polls, will be a contest for 73 seats after motions in the Sabah assembly and in the Dewan Rakyat were passed to increase the number of state seats by 13.

The new seats are Bengkoka, Mangaris, Pintasan, Pantai Dalit, Darau, Tanjung Dumpil, Dambai, Tulid, Telupid, Sungai Manila, Lamag, Segama and Kukusan.

The assembly amended the state constitution to raise the number of assemblymen in August 2016, and Parliament approved the motion in July last year.

While 73 seats will be contested, the state constitution allows for five more to be appointed by the governor on the advice of the chief minister, making the assembly a 78-seat legislature. – August 1, 2020.