New beginnings: Awang Ahmad (centre) replying questions from the media after announcing his resignation.
KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan’s Petagas assemblyman, Datuk Awang Ahmad Sah Sahari, is the latest to defect and throw his support behind Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
Awang Ahmad became the 10th Warisan assemblyman to quit since the snap state elections held in September 2020, where the party won 23 seats in the 79-member state assembly.
The 63-year-old, who is Warisan treasurer and Putatan division chief, said he and most of his committee members would join Hajiji’s Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah for the sake of stability and development and in the interest of the people.
He stated that the majority of the division’s leaders, including the Wanita and Youth chiefs, would join Gagasan Rakyat.
“Our decision would benefit the people. It is also to meet the aspirations of the people,” he said to loud applause from his supporters during a press conference yesterday.
“It was not an easy decision, but I’ve got to think of the voters and how to assist them,” he added.
Awang Ahmad said he had met Hajiji twice in recent weeks and was assured that Gagasan Rakyat would accommodate his members in the Petagas and Tanjung Aru state constituencies, which were under the Putatan parliamentary seat.
He maintained that they decided to leave Warisan to help the people address pressing issues such as flooding in some villages.
“I did not make any requests for myself,” he said while expressing gratitude to Warisan president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal.
The other assemblymen who had quit Warisan and joined Gagasan Rakyat were Hassan Gani Amir (Sebatik), Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob (Sindumin), Norazlinah Arif (Kunak), Datuk Mohammad Mohamarin (Banggi), and Ben Chong Chen Bin (Tanjong Kapor).
Two other assemblymen, Datuk Peter Anthony (Melalap) and Datuk Juil Nuatim (Limbahau), formed a new Parti KDM, while Kukusan assemblyman, Rina Jainal joined Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah.
Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi, an assemblyman from Segama, stayed with Parti Bangsa Malaysia even though he briefly supported Sabah Umno in January of this year.
Sabah Umno withdrew support for the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government on Jan 6 this year in a failed coup to topple Hajiji.
Four of its assemblymen – Datuk James Ratib (Sugut), Datuk Jasnih Daya (Pantai Dalit), Datuk Arshad Bistari (Tempasuk), and Datuk Hamid Awang (Balung) – then threw their support behind Gagasan Rakyat.
The exodus of Warisan and Barisan-Umno assemblymen has boosted Hajiji, whose GRS now controls more than two-thirds of the 79-member state assembly with the support of friendly parties including Pakatan Harapan, Parti KDM, and Sabah Barisan-Umno renegades.
