Bersatu divisions in Selangor calling it quits

KLANG: Several Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia divisions in Selangor have announced that they would be quitting the party and disbanding.

Kuala Selangor Bersatu division, which was headed by Jeram assemblyman Mohd Shaid Rosli, made the first announcement, followed by the Klang and Petaling Jaya divisions later in the evening. Bersatu’s Kota Raja and Bangi divisions are scheduled to disband today.

Shaid, who announced his departure at a press conference, said the decision to leave the party was made after an in-depth deliberation by all the members.

He said their decision to quit Bersatu was spurred by the announcement of a new party to be set up by former Bersatu chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad, adding that 13 branches in Kuala Selangor were dissolved with the exit of its members.

“Once the new party has been registered, I will join it but until then I will be an independent assemblyman,” he said, claiming that more divisions in Selangor and more members would follow suit.

On Friday, Dr Mahathir announced a new Malay-based political party, with Jerlun MP Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir as the temporary president, and said that three Bersatu state assemblymen, including Jeram, would be joining.

The new party was announced after the Kuala Lumpur High Court approved an application by Tan Sri

Muhyiddin Yassin and three others to strike out a suit by Dr Mahathir and four other people over their Bersatu party membership.

In Port Klang, Klang Bersatu chief Datuk Syed Abdillah Syed Abd Aziz announced that he and his other members were leaving Bersatu.

“With the new party to be formed by Tun (Dr Mahathir), we have decided to move there to pursue Bersatu’s initial aspirations and goals,” he said.

Petaling Jaya Bersatu division chief Mohamad Shafiri Abd Karim said its leaders and members believed Bersatu’s current stand to be irrelevant and rejected its collaboration with Umno.

Meanwhile, Bersatu supreme council member Tariq Ismail has called it quits, joining Datuk Abdul Kadir Jasin who posted his exit from the party on Aug 6.

“I would like to take this opportunity to record my gratitude to the party leadership, especially to party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, ... for the guidance shown in the ways of politics,” he said.