Sabah BN senator expected to defect today

A day after Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s visit to Sabah, another BN representative, Senator Maijol Mahap, is expected to defect today.

Maijol had on July 29 raised eyebrows when he appeared along side opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on stage at the defection ceremony of Tuaran MP Wilfred Bumburing (centre in photo).

Beaufort MP Lajim Ukin had similarly defected to the opposition on the same day.

Maijol had at the ceremony announced his intention to quit Upko but did not say whether he would formally align himself with Pakatan Rakyat.

However, a senior PKR source confirmed that the Upko vice-president will be making the move today.

Sabah BN’s Kota Belud MP Abdul Rahman Dahlan, too, had expected the defection.

“Senator Maijol Mahap from Upko is joining Anwar this Sunday. No surprise as he announced leaving Upko two weeks ago with Wilfred Bumburing,” he said in a Twitter posting.

It is unclear whether Maijol is to join Pakatan but it is likely he would align himself with the opposition through Sabah-based Pakatan-friendly organisations under the banner of the Sabah Reform Front (SRF).

In the double defection last month, it was announced that Wilfred will lead the Angkatan Perubahan Sabah while Lajim would take charge of Pakatan Perubahan Sabah under the auspices of SRF to help garner local support for the opposition coalition.