Former Penang PKR chief Zahrain Mohamed Hashim has been urged to join a BN component party, said Umno vice-president Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also Penang Umno liaision committee chairman, welcomed Zahrain's decision to quit PKR and hoped he would join BN.

"We hope he can draw his fellow colleagues who are not satisfied with the the opposition party leadership in Penang to leave the party," he said.    

Ahmad Zahid, who is also the defence minister, said that Zahrain could be a BN "friendly" member of parliament.

He said this to reporters after officiating a branch of the Koperasi Bekas Tentera Malaysia Negeri Johor in Simpang Renggam, some 70km from Johor Bahru today.

On the suggestion to appoint Penang Chief Minister I, Mansor Othman, as chairman of the Pusat Urus Zakat Pulau Pinang, he said the appointment was under the jurisdiction of the Majlis Agama Pulau Pinang (MAIPP).

"Anyone who is not a member of the Majlis Agama Pulau Pinang has no right to be a chairman of the zakat fund and only the council's president can be the chairman as before," he said.

- Bernama