PN MPs switch allegiance to PMX on their own accord - Puad

SHAH ALAM - Umno supreme council member Datuk Mohd Puad Zarkashi has downplayed suggestions of government "brokers" enticing Perikatan Nasional (PN) members to declare support for the Prime Minister, dismissing the need for such tactics.

He believed the five Bersatu MPs who switched allegiance did so for practical reasons, citing their struggles to secure federal funding for their constituents.

He also pointed out that all five MPs knew that if they continued to remain in the opposition bloc without allocations from the federal government, they will not be able to function effectively.

"So, there is no need for PMX (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) to appoint agents to persuade opposition MPs to support him, as claimed by Kedah Menteri Besar (Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor) recently.

"Instead, I believe in what Bersatu-Bukit Gantang MP Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal said that perhaps five or six more PN representatives will switch allegiance and declare support for the Prime Minister voluntarily, soon," he said.

Puad offered these comments while discussing a Dubai Move report featured by Sinar, which alleged that an agent or broker named 'Datuk Rahim' was attempting to persuade PN MPs to shift their support to Anwar.

He also claimed to guess which PN MPs, particularly from Bersatu, were likely to join the unity government soon.

"In fact, I understand that many opposition MPs are disappointed because the top leaders of PN are reluctant to negotiate with representatives of the unity government, even though PMX has expressed his willingness to channel the relevant allocations," he said.

Meanwhile, Bersatu information chief Datuk Razali Idris was confident that no more PN MPs will switch allegiance and declare support for the Prime Minister and the unity government in the near future.

Instead, the Kijal Assemblyman revealed that it was highly likely that many MPs from the unity government coalition, especially from Umno and Pakatan Harapan (PH), will switch allegiance and declare support for PN.

"Now I have information that many government MPs will switch their support to support PN because there is no complete unity among them," he claimed.