KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 12 — An Umno supreme council member has openly admitted the party’s lack of direction after the 14th general election (GE14) is to blame for the mass exodus of leaders from Sabah today.

Former minister in the prime minister’s department Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan conceded in a post on Twitter that the exit of leaders indicated that not all is well with Umno.

He said the party central leadership’s failure to accurately gauge east Malaysia’s political climate post GE14 also contributed to their exit, saying there was not much substantive engagement done in Sabah post elections.

"The party’s direction is in tatters. Different indicators given by separate party leaders has confused the grassroots,” admitted the former Kota Belud MP.

"Six months on and Umno are still unable to clearly indicate the party’s intended political direction,” read his tweet.

"After this, many will start pointing fingers, but not many will admit the disorder in Umno’s direction was the reason for leaders in Sabah to leave the party,” he said.

Sabah Umno is now left with just two elected representatives after 13 lawmakers, including the state chief, abandoned the party today.

The only elected representatives remaining are former chief minister and Sungai Sibuga assemblyman Tan Sri Musa Aman and Kinabatangan MP Datuk Bung Moktar Radin, who was named the new state chief soon after the exodus.

"As an Umno supreme council member, I am not surprised with the action taken by the Sabah party members; I don’t blame them.

"It is their right, once they have weighed in all of Sabah’s political aspects,” he said.

Meanwhile, Malaysiakini reported an obvious split in Umno, with some leaders accusing Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein of orchestrating the mass exodus.

It quoted a tweet by Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin, who had claimed that a "bangsawan” (aristocrat) faction was behind the mass exits, with the report going on to allege the person being referred to was Hishammuddin. 

Another party leader was quoted in the report accusing Hishammuddin of remaining on the sidelines while working on deals with the Pakatan Harapan government to further his own political agenda.

"It's definitely him. But he (Hishammuddin) doesn't have the guts to do it (quit Umno) himself,” the source was quoted saying.

An Umno source also said in the Malaysiakini report that Hishammuddin had two possible reasons for supposedly masterminding the mass defections. 

"He wants to show Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that he can bring MPs over and hence demand for a senior cabinet position even deputy prime minister, and help to further the anti-Anwar Ibrahim agenda whilst gaining for himself.

"He really sees himself as a future prime minister,” the source claimed.

One Umno man however defended Hishammuddin, saying he instead was working behind the scenes to keep people in Umno.

"Hishammuddin won't quit Umno. He meets with Umno MPs to give them support and calm them down.

"The president's people keep saying Hishammuddin wants to take people out of Umno, but the truth is that he is trying to help the president so that MPs don't quit,” said the source.