KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 -- Federal lawmakers from Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) owed Malaysians and Sabahans a “huge” apology for their deliberate absence in the Dewan Rakyat during two key votes on Budget 2021l, a state DAP committee member said today.

Dr Boo Cheng Hau said Warisan had the opportunity to make their stands known on the Budget 2021 Supply Bill that was deemed disadvantageous to Sabah, but instead chose to abstain at the expense of Sabahan and Malaysian taxpayers coffer.

“There you go again. That Sabahans voted you as their representatives in Parliament is to voice out for them on major issues concerning their well-beings.

“Sabahans did not vote you for venting your unfounded petty personal grudges against a single leader and PH (Pakatan Harapan).

“The taxpayers pay you to voice out in Parliament. They don't pay you for a vacation in Parliament,” he said in a statement.

He was responding to a news report quoting Labuan MP and Warisan’s chief whip Datuk Rozman Isli as confirming the party’s MPs skipped voting to send a signal to Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his PH coalition that new leadership is desired.

Rozman had also indicated that Warisan MPs will continue to sit out voting until they decide otherwise.

Several MPs were absent during two bloc votes yesterday on the expenditure Bills, first for the Prime Minister’s Department, and again for the Ministry of Finance under Budget 2021.

The Bills were passed with 105 ayes on the first one and 107 votes for in the second. The Opposition had only 95 votes in both counts.

Dr Boo, who is also a former Skudai assemblyman, added that Warisan ought to join PH in the efforts for the betterment of Sabah despite not being an official member of the coalition.

Warisan contributes a total of eight MPs to PH’s lawmaker tally including Rozman; former Sabah chief minister and Semporna MP Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal; Penampang MP Datuk Darell Leiking; and former deputy energy, science, technology, environment and climate change minister and Kota Belud MP Isnaraissah Munirah Fakharudy.

The rest were former deputy home minister and Sepanggar MP Datuk Azis Jamman, former tourism and culture minister and Lahad Datu MP Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi, Kalabakan MP Ma’mun Sulaiman, and Papar MP Ahmad Hassan.