Umno will not tolerate party-hoppers, Othman Desa says

SHAH ALAM - Umno will not tolerate any individuals attempting to hop to another party for personal interests or positions, even if the party they intend to join is a coalition partner in the Unity Government.

Umno Supreme Council Member Datuk Othman Desa said that any Umno leaders contemplating party-hopping were advised not to since it could tarnish the reputation of their original party, which had significantly contributed to advancing their political careers.

Referring to speculation about the possible entry of the International Trade and Industry Minister (MITI), Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz into PKR, he said that the issue lies with Tengku Zafrul personally rather than with the party.

“Umno has given him opportunities to become a Supreme Council Member, the Kota Raja Umno Division Chief and an election candidate, do not accuse the party’s struggle of being flawed just because you didn’t get what you desired.

“Moreover, he (Tengku Zafrul) is still a new member of the party and his contributions to Umno are insufficient. If he really wants to leave the party, Umno history has shown that leaders come and go without affecting the party’s continuity,” he told Sinar Premium.

Previously, there was speculation that Zafrul was planning to leave Umno and join PKR.

In a statement on Sunday, Tengku Zafrul confirmed discussions with PKR about joining the party but said that no decision had been made.

He denied being involved in discussions regarding state-level positions or by-elections, following rumours that he would become the Selangor Menteri Besar if he switched to PKR.

Tengku Zafrul’s actions prompted Umno Secretary-General Datuk Seri Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki and Youth Chief Datuk Dr Akmal Salleh to voice their disagreement to ‘party-hopping’ within the unity government.

Commenting further, Othman, who is also the Umno Veterans chairman, questioned the sincerity of the parties within the unity government in accepting Umno as a coalition partner.

With Umno affirming its stance against party-hopping and defections among coalition parties, he expressed regret that the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition seemed to disregard the sensitivities of Umno members.

“In my opinion, we need to respect the party’s decision to firmly reject party-hoppers... don’t always focus on positions. In this matter, as a Umno veteran, I suggest that party leadership uphold integrity and discipline in maintaining party loyalty.

“The parties within the unity government should respect Umno's stance and the President Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. In this case, why don’t they consider the sensitivities of Umno members and genuinely accept the party?” he said.