UMNO defectors are ready to face the party’s suit against them over their decision to quit the party.

However, they said they have yet to receive any legal notice from the party despite Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi saying legal suits have been filed on November 14.

“If a case is indeed filed, then we are ready to face it.

“We don’t even know what the case is all about,” Masjid Tanah MP Mas Ermieyati Samsudin told The Malaysian Insight.

She confirmed that she has yet to receive any legal notice from Umno following her actions to exit the party last week.

Zahid said yesterday that they had on November 14 filed suit  against those who have left.

He said Umno wanted all its former MPs who left the party to “pay off their debt”, which allowed them to win in the 14th general election.

So far 17 MPs have quit the party, leaving Umno with only 37 MPs in the Dewan Rakyat.

Of the 17, three – Mas Ermieyati, Mustapa Mohamed (Jeli) and Noor Azmi Ghazali (Bagan Serai) – have joined Bersatu while Rozman Isli (Labuan) has joined Warisan.

The others are also expected to join either of these two parties soon.

Noor Azmi, when contacted by The Malaysian Insight, said he would not meet any of Umno’s demands over his actions to leave the party.

“I will not accept anything (legal suit), I will not vacate the seat and I will not pay back any claims made by the party,” he said. – December 19, 2018.