ALLEGATIONS of Perikatan Nasional (PN) using bribery and intimidation to gain the support of Pakatan Harapan lawmakers are completely baseless, said Bersatu MPs who had defected from PKR last year.

The group said such allegations tarnishes the integrity of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the police, and called for legal action.

“These allegations are an attack on the integrity of the MACC and the police. 

“We take seriously these blatant seditious allegations that could undermine the credibility of enforcement institutions and call for immediate legal action,” the group said in a joint statement today, signed by Mohamed Azmin Ali, Zuraida Kamaruddin, Saifuddin Abdullah, Mohd Rashid Hasnon, Kamarudin Jaffar, Mansor Othman, Santhara Kumar, Ali Biju, Willie Mongin and Jonathan Yasin.

Instead, they said that the MPs who have left PKR over the past year had conducted objective assessments and realised that the PN government had taken responsible actions in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic by helping the people and educating the economy.

Their response comes after PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said that the PN government is using both threats and bait to induce opposition lawmakers to switch sides.

Saifuddin, yesterday said that the minority government was employing the police, the Inland Revenue Board and MACC to intimidate opposition MPs into defecting, after the sudden resignation of the party’s vice president and Kuala Langat MP Dr Xavier Jayakumar, who announced that he would stand as a government-friendly independent.

Xavier 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.

The 10 MPs who are part of the PN government now lauded the decision by their three former colleagues to quit the opposition party and become independent MPs in support of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

“This is a bold move and in line with the aspirations of the people who want a fully functioning and stable government.

“We unanimously welcome the dynamic political shift made by Sgn, Choong, and Xavier.

“This is a progressive development that stems from their confidence in the PN government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and proactive, decisive and precise measures implemented in an effort to sharpen the economy and ensure continued recovery,” they said.

Their decision to leave PKR was also driven by a deep sense of frustration with the leadership of Anwar Ibrahim, who led the practice of divisive politics, nepotism and cronyism, which made the party plunge into abyss, they added.

They said Anwar Ibrahim should accept the fact that his leadership is being rejected by a large section of the PKR.

“We call on leaders and members of PKR to reflect not just on the latest decision taken by the three MPs, but also ponder on the larger issue as to why so many PKR leaders and long serving members have left the party.

“Furthermore, it may be an inconvenient truth, but Anwar must accept the bitter fact that his leadership is rejected by a large cross section of his own party, because a party that has lost its bearings can no longer claim the moral high ground to lead,” they said. – March 14, 2021.