PAKATAN Harapan (PH) will discuss the issue of seven Umno defectors who were accepted into Bersatu yesterday at the upcoming presidential meeting, said Lim Guan Eng.

“I think it is best for us to discuss this matter at the next presidential council meeting,” said the DAP secretary-general.

The finance minister said he had personally told Dr Mahathir Mohamad about his intention and the prime minister had agreed to discuss the issue in the meeting.

“Dr Mahathir has agreed to talk about it. We have to wait when he is free because he is a very busy man,” Lim said after handing over RM50 million in allocation to tahfiz schools.

Lim was responding to a question on the seven ex-Umno MPs who had left the party to become independents, and were then taken in by Bersatu yesterday.

Mujahid Yusof Rawa, who is the minister in charge of Islamic affairs, said those joining PH must first agree to the coalition’s struggle.

“They must first agree in what we fight for and our struggle.

“Also by joining us, it does not mean that their sins while in Umno have been forgiven. They have to be responsible for what they have done previously.

“What is the intention to join us, that is something we will discussed in the presidential meeting,” Mujahid said.

Yesterday, seven former Umno MPs, including Hamzah Zainuddin and Ikmal Hisham, were the latest lawmakers to join Bersatu, taking the party’s number of federal lawmakers to 22.

Hamzah (Larut) and Ikmal (Tanah Merah) joined Shabudin Yahaya (Tasek Gelugor), Mohd Faisah Mohd Fakeh (Sabak Bernam), Latiff Ahmad (Mersing) and Mas Ermieyati Samsudin (Masjid Tanah) to switching allegiance to the Pakatan Harapan party.

They were given their membership certificates before the press conference by Bersatu chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Mas Ermieyati had announced she was joining Bersatu in December.

The last MP, Rosol Wahid (Hulu Terengganu), could not make it to the ceremony.

The announcement came ahead of the Semenyih by-election, which will begin on Saturday. The by-election will be the first contest between Umno and its splinter party Bersatu after the general election.

Hamzah, who is the former domestic trade minister, quit Umno together with five others on December 14.

Umno has lost 17 MPs since the 14th general election, leaving the party with just 37.

Former international trade minister Mustapa Mohamed (Jeli) was the first to swap the Umno red for Bersatu’s, followed by Noor Azmi Ghazali Azmi (Bagan Serai).

Dr Mahathir said their acceptance into Bersatu does not mean they are free from any previous wrongdoings.

“We will not offer any protection from previous wrongs, but we have accepted them in accordance with our terms,” he said at the Perdana Leadership Foundation yesterday. – February 13, 2019.