The latest defector from the PKR camp chose to tread carefully when speaking at his first pro-BN ceramah last night, pleading gently for acceptance by Umno.

Stating that he has "no political ambitions", Dr Halili Rahmat ( above, centre in pix ) - who quit yesterday as Hulu Selangor PKR division treasurer to join Umno - described his decision as the right thing to do.

"As a sane person, I must be on the side of the righteous ( pihak yang benar )," he said to cheers from the 200-strong crowd assembled in Bandar Sungai Buaya.

Also present were Umno’s Bagan Pinang assemblyperson Mohd Isa Samad, party vice-president Shafie Apdal and supreme council member Shaziman Abu Mansor.

Halili did not elaborate on the reasons for his defection, saying he is not good with words and has merely decided to support the "right side".

At his press conference earlier in the day, he had claimed that this was because PKR has not held on to its founding principles.

isa samad interview 150509 Isa, who was the guest of honour, said Halili's defection is testament to the deep-rooted problems in PKR and Pakatan Rakyat

He attacked PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, calling him a man who does not know gratitude and has no qualms abouut doing whatever it takes to achieve his goals.

"Right or wrong, when he has made up his mind, he will simply go ahead," alleged Isa, who had been suspended from Umno for three years from 2005 for money politics.

He also took a swipe at Zaid Ibrahim, the PKR candidate for Hulu Selangor, saying that the latter has a weak character.

"I joined Umno in 1972 and until now, I don't have any position (sic) . But I didn't merajuk (sulk) like Zaid... just because something didn't go his way, he decides to merajuk ," he said to the amusement of the crowd.

‘Who’s racist now?’

Isa accused Pakatan of playing on racial sentiments to gain political mileage, saying the opposition coalition is merely picking pointers from the BN's power-sharing structure while attempting to throw a spanners in the government’s works.

"They say Pakatan has produced more Indian elected representatives compared to the MIC under BN, but why do we need so many if they are not effective?

NONE "It is better to have one person - (BN's Hulu Selangor candidate P) Kamalanathan (right) , who can do the job with the help of the government."

Isa said it is important for the voters to "do the right thing" and return the  parliamentary seat to BN, which lost it in the 2008 general election.

"If he (Kamalanathan) does not do his work, then kick him out by the next general election two years from now. I will even propose it myself," he added.

Voters go to the polls on Sunday, which will see a straight fight between Zaid and Kamalanathan following the withdrawal of two Independent candidates.

The seat was vacated by the death of PKR incumbent Dr Zainal Abidin Ahmad due to brain cancer on March 25.

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