1,000 PPBM members to quit party, says founder

PORT DICKSON: More than 1,000 members of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) are expected to leave the party, says one of the party founders.

Kamarul Azman Habibur Rahman, who is a former PPBM supreme council member, said they had expressed their intention to follow in his footsteps when he left the party about a month ago.

“As a founder of PPBM, I see that the direction of the party has drifted from its principles,” he said here yesterday.

Kamarul Azman, who is now the Gabungan Kepimpinan Celik Minda president, said those leaving PPBM were planning to join his organisation.

“From the beginning, I have seen that the party fails to elect a credible head of divisions. The party leaders, too, do not respect our views,” he said.

He said the party would not last long if cronyism continued to be practised in PPBM.

“It’s very disappointing, especially when you had high hopes that the party would bring changes, but could not deliver its promises.”

He said PPBM leaders and members should be gentlemen in politics.

“If they do not like the government, change it in the next general election.”

Kamarul Azman said he was disappointed to see how the prime minister’s post was put as the top agenda in PPBM over service to the people.

“(Former prime minister) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had been asked numerous times on why he did the U-turn. His answer is always the same — that there’s no point to continue the journey on a rocky road, knowing that the road is leading you to a disaster.

“Now, I am making a U-turn. I must say that I learnt that from him,” he said.