Nurul Izzah: It’s insulting to accept Umno deserters

KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Harapan’s acceptance of deserters from Umno is a betrayal of the mandate given by the people to the ruling coalition, PKR vicepresident Nurul Izzah Anwar said.

In a stinging rebuke delivered via Twitter yesterday, the Permatang Pauh member of parliament (MP) described the defections and PH being open to taking them in as an insult to voters, who gave their mandate to PH in the 14th General Election (GE14).

The Penang PKR chairman said the party suffered a similar problem in the past and did not wish to see any other political party going through the predicament.

“The mass exodus of Umno (members to PH) is a betrayal of the mandate given by voters on the 9th of May (GE14).

“It insults those who are loyal to the cause.

“Our party was previously attacked by defections. (I) don’t wish that kind of pain and antics upon anyone else.

“There is no meaning to democracy if Malaysia is governed by elite-based politicking,” she said.

She was replying to a Twitter post by one Patrick Lim Ming Yau, who sought her opinion on Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin’s stance that PH must not accept Umno defectors.

Yesterday, on Twitter, Maria voiced her objection to party hopping and PH accepting them because Malaysians voted in PH to stamp out graft and abuse of power.

She said PH must not accept Umno defectors as they had colluded in perpetrating corruption during the 61 years of Umno-led administration.

Following GE14 on May 9, Umno has been hit by a series of defections, with the latest wave of party members jumping ship coming from Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia.