Seven former Umno leaders join Bersatu

PUTRAJAYA: Seven former Umno leaders, who abandoned the party last December, have joined Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.

They are former domestic trade, consumerism and cooperatives minister and Larut member of parliament Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, former deputy tourism minister Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin (Masjid Tanah MP), Datuk Seri Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz (Tanah Merah MP), Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad (Mersing MP), Datuk Rosol Wahid (Hulu Terengganu MP), Datuk Mohd Fasiah Mohd Fakeh (Sabak Bernam MP) and Datuk Shahbudin Yahya (Tasik Gelugor MP).

They received their membership cards from Bersatu chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday.

Dr Mahathir, at a press conference held to announce their entry into the party, said their applications were vetted before being approved.

However, he said, their Bersatu membership did not give them protection against past actions.

“We will not protect them against whatever they have done in the past. We have accepted them as only regular members. They are not allowed to hold any position in the party.

“But we will use them for specific tasks, like campaigning for the party and Pakatan Harapan, and also (ask for) their opinion on certain matters.”

He said he had briefed them on the membership requirements and responsibilities, and they have pledged their loyalty to the party and PH.

He said apparently, there were efforts to return Umno back to its former glory with a new leader, and strengthened with a cooperation with Pas.

“Now this is a new phenomenon that we are witnessing in Umno, as Pas had once called Umno a kafir (infidel) party and rejected it. But Pas is willing to work with anyone who is kafir if it is going to benefit,” he said.

“This is atrocious because Pas has no right to claim that those who are not Pas members are not Muslims.”

Umno and Pas were working together only because of political interests, not for race, religion or country, he said.

On whether he was worried that those from Umno who had joined Bersatu would abandon the party if it lost the next general election, he said: “I was from Umno and (now) I work with DAP, PKR and (Parti) Amanah (Negara). But if DAP, PKR and Amanah become traitors and disloyal to the nation, I will change parties.

“We are not fixed.”

He said he had criticised DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang and PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and both of them had done the same to him.

“And now we are together. There are times where we have to change our stand according to what is happening around us.

“If we tie ourselves down to one leader or party, even when that party becomes a party of robbers, it means that we are not a member of a political party, but we are just looking after our own interests.”

He said those in Umno had begun to realise that people had rejected the party, as shown in the last general election.

“When those in Umno realised that people have rejected the party, they have the right to leave.”

On the past mistakes by some PH leaders, he said: “If you look into the past, everybody makes mistake. Where they are now is what counts.”