PADANG Serai MP, M. Karupaiya, one of four PKR lawmakers who said they were offered bribes to jump ship to Perikatan Nasional (PN), was enticed with funds for his constituency, future projects and RM1 million for himself.

Karupaiya told Malaysiakini that these offers were made by someone named “Azhar”, who first called him at 5pm last Sunday, saying Bersatu would give him lucrative benefits if he supported Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

“When I asked him why would I do that, he spoke about how my constituency has no funding and this has left the rakyat there in difficult situations,” Malaysiakini quoted Karupaiya as saying.

The man who called him identified himself as “Azhar” told him to join Bersatu in order to gain these benefits, he added.

Karupaiya said he rejected the offer as he was loyal to PKR and did not want to lose voters’ respect.

He did not lodge a report with the authorities but told the PKR leadership about it.

Karupaiya also told Free Malaysia Today that those pressuring him to switch allegiance had even called his son to persuade him to ditch Pakatan Harapan.

He said he was now afraid that other tactics would be used to frame or intimidate him.

Karupaiya was one of four MPs named by PKR president Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday who have received offers to leave PKR and Pakatan Harapan (PH). The others were Awang Husaini Sahari (Putatan), S. Kesavan (Sg Siput), and Michael Teo Yu Leong (Miri).

Awang Husaini told The Malaysian Insight yesterday that calls pressuring him to switch camps began as early as last year, very soon after the “Sheraton Move” in February.

There were at least five calls, with appeals to meet up, which Awang Husaini repeatedly declined.

Bersatu information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan, meanwhile, denied Karupaiya’s claims, calling them lies and slander.

“Who is this ‘Azhar’ (who called him)? Which party is he from? In the Bersatu supreme council there is no such person named Azhar. No one called him, and now he wants to slander others.”

Wan Saiful said Karupaiya should lodge reports with the police and the anti-graft agencies and provide evidence to back his claims.

“The truth is, PKR is in shambles. Its own members have lost confidence in the party. So resolve your own party matters first. Don’t divert the topic and create distractions by telling lies,” Wan Saiful said. – March 18, 2021.