Anwar: PKR will not accept Umno defectors
KUALA LUMPUR: The doors of PKR will be closed to Umno members who plan to cross over to Pakatan Harapan.
Party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said this was because PKR wanted to remain committed to its reform agenda.
Without giving names, Anwar said several Umno members had approached him to express their intention to defect.
“Yes, yes... quite a number. I don’t think it’s proper to name them. I think we have not accepted and I don’t intend to pursue the leadership to consider (accepting them). But I do appreciate the fact that they approached me.
“I made it clear to them that we are a party committed to reform, and we fought in the general election against a corrupt, kleptrocratic government,” said Anwar.
He was speaking at the launch of PKR vice-president Tian Chua’s book here recently.
Anwar, who is Port Dickson member of parliament, was asked on the exodus of Sabah Umno members on Wednesday.
“I was very clear to them that you can remain in your party or you can become independent.
“But it will be difficult for us to accept you because the general mood of the public is to support PH in the reform agenda.”
Anwar said his recent meeting with Padang Rengas member of parliament Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz had nothing to do with Umno’s crossovers.
“The discussion was open. However, I answered consistently as we are ready to talk, and we did not talk about crossovers. We discussed our support for the reform agenda,” he said.
In Kota Kinabalu, Parti Warisan Sabah president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal indicated that he was open to former Umno leaders joining his party.
However, he said, there should be no strings attached.
He said the support of elected representatives would help the government develop all areas in the state, regardless of whether the constituencies are under the government or opposition.
“So it’s not a problem. We can discuss. There are no restrictions in our policy. We have said this from the beginning — it’s for the sake of unity. However, there should be no conditions when joining.”
On Wednesday, four Umno MPs, nine assemblymen, two senators and 21 division leaders quit the party, citing a loss of trust in leadership.
In Petaling Jaya, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) said it had yet to confirm the new membership for former Sabah Umno leaders seeking to join the party.
Bersatu Supreme Council member and strategist Rais Hussin said his party was in talks with the group and a decision would be reached “very soon”.
The group, reportedly made up of former Umno leaders, was expected to become the pioneers for Bersatu in Sabah.
Rais was met after the launching of a book titled Striving for Excellence: A Life Fulfilled by Datuk Seri Mohamed Iqbal Rawther.
He was commenting on DAP stalwart Ronnie Liu rebuking Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for allegedly trying to pull former Umno leaders into Bersatu.