He said six Sabah Umno representatives did not agree with state party leader Bung Moktar Radin’s decision to withdraw support, and wanted Hajiji to continue as the chief minister.

However, Masidi did not name the six representatives.

GRS, led by Hajiji, has 29 seats in the state assembly and remains the dominant party. Masidi said GRS still has a simple majority and could remain in power with the full backing of seven PH representatives and the six Umno representatives.

A simple majority of 40 seats in the 79-member state assembly is needed to form a government.

He said he was not surprised by Bung’s announcement earlier this evening to withdraw support for Hajiji. “By working with Warisan to topple the state government, they have withdrawn their support a long time ago,” he said.

Bung said BN and Umno decided to withdraw support for Hajiji as he had violated an agreement with BN, Parti Bersatu Sabah and Perikatan Nasional made after the Sabah  elections in 2020.

He said BN and Umno assemblymen had then agreed to back Hajiji as chief minister as long as the state Cabinet included BN and Umno representatives and party members appointed to government companies.