Balung rep Osman Jamal ditches PKR for Warisan

Balung rep Osman Jamal (third from left) handing his Warisan application form to Chief Minister Shafie Apdal at his office today.

KOTA KINABALU: Balung assemblyman Osman Jamal today announced his decision to leave PKR, which he joined last July, to link up with Shafie Apdal’s Warisan.

Osman, who won on a Barisan Nasional (BN) ticket in the last election, was one of the first six BN assemblymen to pledge loyalty to Warisan just two days after the May 9 polls.

Shafie said Osman had actually expressed his desire to join Warisan at the former’s swearing-in as chief minister at the state palace in May last year.

“Today, he expressed his intention to join Warisan openly, although it took him a year. We welcome him to the party,” he said.

Meanwhile Osman, a former state Land and Survey Department director, said he had returned to a “Sabah-based, multiracial party” for the physical and social development of Balung.

He told reporters in March that he was leaving PKR, but did not disclose which party he intended to join.

The other BN reps who defected last May were Tanjong Batu rep Hamisa Samat (Umno), Sebatik rep Abdul Muis Picho (Umno), Paginatan rep Abidin Madingkir (Upko), Kadamaian rep Ewon Benedick (Upko) and Kemabong rep Jamawi Jaafar (Umno).

With the addition of Osman, Warisan, the dominant party in Sabah, now has 29 elected representatives in the 60-seat state assembly. PKR has two, DAP six and Upko four. - FMT