XAVIER Jayakumar’s decision to leave PKR and stand as a government-friendly independent is a manifestation of confidence in Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s government, said Hamzah Zainuddin. 

The Bersatu secretary-general said Xavier probably made the decision based on the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government’s ability to help people, especially when facing the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“We welcome Xavier’s decision to become an independent MP and support the PN government.  

“As he is an experienced MP, PN believes the decision was made to prioritise the interests and wellbeing of the people,” Hamzah said in a statement today. 

Xavier, who was the PKR vice president, yesterday announced he was quitting the party, as he had grown extremely frustrated following the events of the past year with the opposition.  

He said the opposition were pressing for elections when it should be helping the government combat the pandemic. 

He is the third lawmaker to leave PKR in recent weeks after Julau MP Larry Sng and Tebrau MP Steven Choong, who left to back Muhyiddin as independent lawmakers. 

So far, 14 PKR lawmakers have quit the party since the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government last year. – March 14, 2021.