BERSATU must stop “buying” Umno members if it wants to preserve the Umno-Bersatu partnership, said the Umno Youth chief.

“Lately, there have been many complaints and concerns from Umno members throughout the country that Bersatu members are stealing and buying Umno members,” Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said in a statement today.

“Some have confessed to being offered RM100 to join Bersatu with each ‘new’ branch being allocated RM3,000-RM5,000,” said Aysraf.

“If this phenomenon is to continue, it would only confirm the allegations that Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional are bent on destroying Umno.”

The Umno-Bersatu partnership should be based on mutual understanding and objectives and not on destroying one another, he said.

“Instead of allocating big sums of money to start more branches, efforts should be put into how both parties can do joint programmes among the grassroots.

“In fact, all the former Umno MPs who have joined Bersatu are now ministers and deputy ministers.

“Hence, Umno Youth urges Bersatu to stop buying and stealing Umno members.”

Bersatu secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin said recently the party aims to open at least 8,000 branches within three months to prove that it is not a weak party.

“If not for Covid-19, the annual general assembly would have been held in August with the target to open branches to get one million members. Starting this month, we will start accepting members nationwide.”

Hamzah, who is also Larut MP, said this to reporters after receiving establishment forms of 20 Bersatu branches for the Larut division with a membership of about 4,600 in Batu Kurau. – January 2, 2021.