GEORGE TOWN, April 1 – Sixty Bayan Lepas Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) members defected, citing a loss of confidence in the party’s ability to provide for the people of Penang, and joined UMNO today. The group’s representative, Mohd Eruwan Yusof, 35, said that after five years of supporting PKR, they now realised that the party’s struggles were meaningless to the people.
“We were too excited for change at the time and gave them our full support but lately we feel that the situation in Penang has deteriorated instead of improving,” he said.
He was speaking to reporters after receiving UMNO membership forms from Bayan Lepas assemblyman Syed Ameruddin Syed Ahmad at the Taman Emas Flats, Sungai Batu, here.
Meanwhile, Syed Ameruddin said the group’s action proved that the people’s support for UMNO and Barisan Nasional was strengthening. People are beginning to realise that the opposition coalition’s political ploys are a waste of time, he added.
Meanwhile in PASIR MAS, 70 PAS members, comprising teachers and students of a religious school here, declared last night that they were quitting the party and joining Umno as there were too many unfulfilled promises by PAS leaders.
The representative of the group from Tal Tujuh, Mohd Zaidi Shafie, said the efforts by Umno and the central government in upholding Islam and helping the people led them to change their minds and leave PAS.
“It’s true, I was a staunch follower of Tok Guru Nik Aziz (PAS spiritualleader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat). But when we made the comparison we finally concluded that the party cannot provide for our well-being and is not able to defend Islam,” he said.
He was speaking after receiving membership forms from Umno Pasir Mas Division chief Datuk Hanafi Mamat, at Kampung Hutan Chengal, Tendong here last night.
BERNAMA
