Another 2 abandon Bersatu for Dr Mahathir’s party

Updated 3 years ago · Published on 9 Aug 2020 10:54AM · 5 Comments

The Negri Sembilan Bersatu chairman says having another Malay-based party only serves to further split the community. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, August 9, 2020.

MORE Bersatu leaders are quitting to support former chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his new party.

Supreme council member Ulya Aqamah Husamudin and Gerik youth exco chief Abu Hafiz Saleh Hudin are the latest to announce their departure from the party led by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

Ulya, who is vacating all his posts in Bersatu, urged members to return to the party’s original struggle.

“I hope Bersatu will re-evaluate its mission and return to its objective,” he said in a statement today.

This comes after Dr Mahathir on Friday announced the formation of a new party that will uphold Bersatu’s mission to end corruption.

Abu Hafiz shares Ulya’s sentiments.

“Hopefully, Bersatu will return to the objective it had when it was formed (in 2016) to fight kleptocracy and fulfil Dr Mahathir’s struggle.”

Two other supreme council members – A. Kadir Jasin and Tariq Ismail – have already left the party, and Jeram assemblyman Shaid Rosli quit yesterday.

Kadir walked out a day before Dr Mahathir made known his new political outfit.

The five join Bersatu MPs and former cabinet members, namely Mukhriz Mahathir, Maszlee Malik, Amiruddin Hamzah and Marzuki Yahya, who were with the former prime minister when he announced the matter.

Meanwhile, Negri Sembilan Bersatu chairman Rais Yatim, a known ally of Dr Mahathir, said having another Malay-based party only serves to further split the community.

It is best for Dr Mahathir to return to Umno or Bersatu, he said.

“To establish a political party is not easy, and it takes time… besides, why would Dr Mahathir want to establish another Malay-based party when he’s already led Bersatu, which he founded, before? So, I think the best thing for him is to return to Bersatu or Umno.

“Personally, I think the setting up of a Malay-based party has no basis anymore, as we all want unity. We respect him (Dr Mahathir) when it comes to being innovative, but this is not the case.”

The name of the new party has not yet been decided, and Dr Mahathir said members will wait for approval from the Registrar of Societies.

The 95-year-old said the new outfit is necessary as all other Malay parties have deviated from their original goals.

“We are forming a new party. This party will uphold the values of Bersatu when it was formed. We will fight corruption relentlessly.” – August 9, 2020.

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Comments

  • Another bersatu in this case berdua does not represent Malaysias future.

    Posted 3 years ago by Victor Low · Reply

  • What is the point of having a Malay united party only to unite with kleptocrats, power greedy and self serving people. Think again.

    Posted 3 years ago by Elyse Gim · Reply

  • It's a shame that after so many years of trying, Dr M still couldn't push Malaysia to a developed country.

    I have to say that the moment he resigned in end Feb, he had put Malaysians into a Dilemma.

    I don't hope to read this new book, if there's one.

    Posted 3 years ago by Tavern Folks · Reply

  • This vain dream of Malay unity is holding the country back. Accept it as an impossibility and concentrate on improving the lives of the population as a whole. It cannot be that a country can prosper if only one part of its population is favoured.

    Posted 3 years ago by Malaysia New hope · Reply

    • Good point!

      Posted 3 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply