(FMT) – Former Sabah Umno chief Hajiji Mohd Noor is among six former Umno leaders in the state who will officially join PPBM today, a month after the party announced its intention to start its Sabah chapter.

A source has confirmed to FMT that besides Hajiji, Karanaan assemblyman Masidi Manjun and four MPs – Zakaria Edris (Libaran), Ronald Kiandee (Beluran), Azizah Mohd Dun (Beaufort) and Abdul Rahim Bakri (Kudat) – will be the first batch of elected representatives to join PPBM.


“They will receive their membership cards from Prime Minister and PPBM chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad in Kuala Lumpur at 5pm today.

“This is a good development for Sabahans because they now have a new option for a political platform and this will be at the national level,” the source said.

It added that the rest of the former Sabah Umno assemblymen will join PPBM on April 6, at the launch of the party in Kota Kinabalu.

In December, Hajiji led an exodus of senior leaders out of Sabah Umno who included five MPs, nine assemblymen, two senators and several division chiefs.

Other assemblymen who left Sabah Umno were Musbah Jamli (Tempasuk), Japlin Akin (Usukan), Ghulam Haidar Khan Bahadar (Kawang), Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif (Membakut), Isnin Aliasnih (Klias), Matbali Musbah (Lumadan), Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan (Apas).

Musbah has since joined Warisan last Jan 27.