BERSATU has purged 282 members aligned to founding chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad from the party.

The expulsions include several assemblymen and supreme council member.

The party made the announcement in full-page advertisements in Malay language dailies Berita Harian and Utusan Malaysia, which was signed off by executive secretary Muhammad Suhaimi Yahya.

The notice listed the expelled members’ name, state, division and membership number.

Harumaini Omar (Batang Kali), Shaid Rosli (Jeram) and Sallehudin Amiruddin (Kuang) lead this list, while vocal supreme councillor and founder member Akhramsyah Muammar Ubaidah Sanusi has also been shown the door.

Other notable expulsions include Bersatu Youth information chief Ulya Aqamah Husamudin and former Kayang candidate Abdul Hanaan Khairy.

The party saw it fit to also expel Azlina Mehtab Mohd Ishaq, who was challenging Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Rina Harun for the women’s wing chief post in ongoing party polls.

Yesterday, Bersatu secretary general Hamzah Zainuddin said the members, who were associated with Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s faction in the party, would have their membership terminated.

“We have investigated all complaints received and, today, I will issue notices to the 282 whom we have taken action against and terminated their Bersatu memberships.

“The list will be published and sent to the respective divisions,” he was quoted as saying yesterday by Astro Awani.

The notice was published today said those expelled had violated Article 10.2 of the party constitution, which states that a person loses their party membership if they have declared their exit from the party, joined another political party or contested in an election against the party’s official candidate.

The expelled members had dissented over Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s decision to align the party with Perikatan Nasional, with some of the publicly stating they had aligned with Dr Mahathir.

Many of those listed had in recent days also declared they were leaving the party or dissolving Bersatu branches. – August 15, 2020.