PH TO DISCUSS ‘UMNO MPS DEFECTING’
Presidential Council will on Saturday deliberate on claims that 40 legislators will join PPBM
PAKATAN Harapan’s (PH) Presidential Council will discuss an allegedly imminent “mass defection” of Umno members of parliament to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) when it meets on Saturday.
PKR’s outgoing Wanita Chief Zuraida Kamaruddin said the discussion follows rumours that up to 40 Umno MPs might follow in the footsteps of Jeli MP Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, who joined PPBM recently.
“I read the news (about the 40 Umno MPs) but I don’t know how (true it is).
“This is subject to the deliberation during the PH Presidential Council meeting on Saturday,” said the Ampang MP at the Parliament’s lobby yesterday.
On whether she agreed with DAP chair Tan Kok Wai’s view that it was “unhealthy” for PH component parties to accept former Umno MPs, Zuraida said: “I don’t know what that (Tan’s comment) means... ‘unhealthy’ can mean a lot of things.
“There are a lot of interpretations of ‘unhealthy’. Let us deal with this on Saturday.”
On whether the mass defection could be part of a conspiracy in PH to prevent incoming PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim from becoming the next prime minister, Zuraida dismissed the talk as mere speculation.
On Saturday, PPBM Supreme Council member Datuk A. Kadir Jasin claimed that 40 Umno MPs might leave the party for PPBM.