TUARAN, June 20 — Despite receiving his Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) card, Sipitang MP Yamani Hafez Musa today said he is waiting for official word of his membership from its chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Yamani — the son of former Sabah chief minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman who is still in Umno — said he is still listed as an “independent” in the Dewan Rakyat even after state PPBM chief coordinator Datuk Hajiji Noor announced the former’s membership.
“I had applied to join much earlier, before January,” he told reporters at Hajiji’s Raya open house here.
“But according to my seat in Parliament, I’m an independent. Usually, once the prime minister announces you’re in, they will change your seat. That’s how you know you’re officially in the party,” he said, adding that he is hoping to hear from Dr Mahathir soon.
Yamani, a former Sabah Barisan Nasional Youth chief as well as the former state Umno and Sipitang division Youth chief, who was among the mass exodus of members who quit last December.
The group eventually joined PPBM in stages.
At the party’s Sabah launch event on April 6, Dr Mahathir announced that eight former Umno assemblymen and four MPs were now members of PPBM.
Hafez’s name was not announced then and he was not present at the party’s launch. He has also not been seen around Sabah recently.
When asked later, Hajiji said that Yamani was accepted as a member of PPBM as early as January and was even given a membership card.
“As far as I’m concerned, he was already admitted in early January. He’s even got his membership card already. Only thing I can say is be patient. I’m told he is already a member,” he said.
Hajiji said he does not know why Parliament has not set Yamani up in the government side yet
“I don’t know why he is still ‘independent’, that’s up to Parliament seating arrangement but he has got the card. He received his earlier than me in March, even before the launching,” said Hajiji.
Yamani is also the proposed PPBM deputy division chief for Sipitang.
On his departure from Umno, Yamani said that the decision to leave the former ruling party and join PPBM was a group decision that he went along with.
“It was a collective decision. We went together, we followed the leadership, it was not just personal.
“I don’t want to speculate but we want to strengthen the party’s numbers. The numbers in Parliament are not as big as PKR and DAP. We are the size of Amanah but we hold a significant role,” he said.
Yamani was also named respondent in an election petition by the Warisan candidate for Sipitang which was thrown out but is now pending an appeal on June 26.
“It is still ongoing, but they’re now in government, they have the advantage position, so unless they’re questioning our judiciary.
“If politically motivated it doesn’t make much sense to pursue this… doesn’t make much sense because of my position,” he said, referring to the alignment between PPBM in the Pakatan Harapan federal government and the Warisan-led Sabah government.
