AFIF Bahardin has quit as Penang exco, said Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.

Chow said the Seberang Jaya assemblyman from PKR handed in his resignation as Health, Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Committee chairman this morning, before a weekly exco meeting.

“Afif Bahardin met me at 8.15am before the exco meeting, and we discussed the political changes in the country.

“He then conveyed his decision to quit, which is effective immediately,” he told a press conference.

Afif, who is former PKR youth deputy chief, is a strong supporter of Mohamed Azmin Ali, the sacked party No. 2 who has teamed up with Prime Minister and Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin in the new government.

His resignation is not expected to change the power structure in the 40-seat Penang assembly, where DAP has 19 seats, PKR (14), Amanah (2), Bersatu (2), Umno (2) and PAS (1).

Afif is expected to hold a gathering of his supporters at his residence at 3.30pm today.

Bersatu’s exit from Pakatan Harapan last week triggered the collapse of the federal government, as well as the state administrations in Johor and Malacca.

After a meeting with the PKR top leadership on Sunday, Afif and others aligned with Azmin were heckled and attacked by party members and supporters.

The crowd called Afif, PKR vice-president Chua Tian Chang and supreme council member Amirudin Shari “traitors” and “dogs”.

In a bid to dial down the temperature, president Anwar Ibrahim said Azmin’s followers did not know that he had been plotting to overthrow the PH government.

Some of Azmin’s supporters have told Anwar that they regret taking the former economic affairs minister’s side.

Before the change of government, Afif was under investigation by the PKR disciplinary board over his alleged attempt to sabotage the youth wing’s annual congress in Malacca last December. – March 4, 2020.