PERAK Bersatu said today it will not accept Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi, an assemblyman who defected to support Barisan Nasional in 2009.

Jamaluddin was one of three assemblymen from the now-defunct Pakatan Rakyat coalition who contributed to the fall of the PR-controlled Perak government by becoming a BN-friendly independent.

Perak Menteri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu said his party Bersatu would not accept Jamaluddin’s membership application.

“As Perak PH and Bersatu chief, I attended a ceremony yesterday at Hotel Kinta Riverfront to welcome Sungai Manik assemblyman Zainol Fadzi Paharuddin into PH.

“He is one of those who voiced support for PH after the May 9 polls. I was present at the event to welcome him and others who are giving their support to Bersatu in Perak.

“But after my press conference at the event, I was told about the presence of Jamaluddin, who was one of those who had contributed to the 2009 Perak constitutional crisis.

“After taking various matters into account, I announce that his application to join Bersatu is rejected without negotiation,” he said in a statement today.

Faizal said applications to join PH, especially in Perak, would be considered strictly to avoid a similar scenario.

The 2009 crisis started when a BN rep, Nasarudin Hashim, defected to PKR, which angered the BN top leadership. The defection gave hope to PR that more from BN would defect.

But shortly later, it was the PKR and DAP assemblymen who defected – Jamaluddin, Mohd Osman Jailu and Hee Yit Foong, who became BN-friendly independents – which led to BN regaining the state.

After losing Perak to BN in 2009 and in the 2013 general election, PH finally regained the state on May 9, winning 29 state seats compared with BN’s 27 seats.

To strengthen its majority to form the state government, PH accepted the support of Zainol and BN Tualang Sekah assemblyman Nolee Radzi. BN has since sacked both men. – May 15, 2018.