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.

Osman explained that although he had been linked to PKR since July last year, he was only officially accepted as a member on Feb 24, after he had decided to switch to Warisan.

“On Feb 24, PKR’s political bureau had a meeting at the federal level and the Sabah representative told me that my membership application had just been accepted.

“I was not an official member before that.

“But I already agreed to join Warisan, so I told them it was too late. I was even appointed as a member of the PKR state leadership council,” he said.

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.

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.