Barisan Nasional runs the risk of losing another parliamentary seat in Sabah as its Sipitang winner, Yamani Hafez Musa, has yet to take his oath of office as MP.
The son of the former Sabah chief minister Musa Aman has until January 15 to take the oath.
What is alarming Sabah Umno circles is that his whereabouts remain unknown and this has raised alarm bells among the state leadership of a possible by-election for the seat.
Hafez was given six months from July 16, from the first Dewan Rakyat meeting, to have himself sworn-in or lose his eligibility to be MP as stipulated under the federal constitution.
He won the Sipitang federal seat by 852 votes against Warisan’s Noor Hayaty Mustapha and Parti Harapan Rakyat’s Dayang Aezzy Liman during the May 9 elections.
Hafez has had ample chance to take his oath since the current budget meeting began on October 15 but has not indicated to the speaker’s office if he intends to attend the meeting and take his oath.
The current meeting ends on December 11.
But the speaker could also allow him to take his oath when there is no sitting but this option could have been exercised any time between the two meetings since the 14th general election but Hafez did not.
After GE14, the newly minted Sipitang MP was reported to have accompanied his father, Musa, to London for the latter’s medical treatment on May 17 but continues to remain off the radar until now.
Hafez was not with Musa when he returned to Sabah and sworn in as the Sibuga assemblyman on September 5, before leaving for Kuala Lumpur again the same day.
He was also nowhere to be seen when Musa returned to Sabah from Kuala Lumpur for the court ruling on the originating summons to the chief minister’s post on November 7.
But an Umno source, who met Musa last month at the latter’s home in Kota Kinabalu, was told by the former leader that Hafez will take the oath.
“Musa told me to wait and that Hafez will turn up on time,” the source told The Malaysian Insight.
His actions also earned the wrath of de facto law minister Liew Vui Keong who accused Hafez of showing disrespect to Parliament without giving a valid explanation for failing to show up.
Liew also referred to a photo of Hafez which went viral on social media earlier when his father was seen lying on a sick bed.
“Hafez was seen standing by his father, looking healthy. At this moment, he has shown complete disregard to his responsibilities as an MP and disrespected the august house for failing to turn up and take his oath,” he said.
Sabah Umno secretary Masidi Manjun told The Malaysian Insight no one in the party knows where Hafez is at present.
“We are not aware of his whereabouts,” he said.
Umno which now stands to lose another federal seat with Hafez still missing had not discussed over what to do next if the seat is vacated next year.
“We will cross the bridge until we come to it,” he said.
His uncle, Kimanis MP Anifah Aman, also had no comment over Hafez.
“I have nothing to do with him,” he said, adding that he was no longer an Umno member.
– TMI