Perak Menteri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu has rejected former Behrang assemblyperson Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi’s (above, right) application to join Bersatu, given his role in the 2009 Perak constitutional crisis.

Jamaluddin had submitted an application to join the party, along with a few other Umno members to Ahmad Faizal at a press conference yesterday.

In a statement today, Ahmad Faizal said he had only learned about Jamaluddin's presence after the press conference had ended.

“Therefore, after taking into account all the information and reasons, I would like to inform all that his application to join Bersatu has been rejected, sans discussion.

“This decision was made upon the principle that every entry into Harapan, especially in Perak, will be made based on strict consideration to ensure there will not be a repeat of the rakyat’s suffering,” Ahmad Faizal said in a statement today.

In 2009, Jamaluddin jumped ship from PKR to become an independent assemblyperson and then supported BN’s bid to form the Perak state government.

This triggered a Perak constitutional crisis which later resulted in the downfall of the then Pakatan Rakyat state government.

Yesterday, DAP Youth chief Wong Kah Woh had condemned Ahmad Faizal’s apparent acceptance of Jamaluddin into the Harapan component party.

“This is the last thing the menteri besar should do on his first day of reporting for duty as an MB," Wong had said.

MB not informed

Today, Ahmad Faizal, who is Chenderiang assemblyperson, further explained that he had arrived at the above-mentioned press conference only to welcome Sungai Manik assemblyperson Zainol Fadzi Paharuddin into Bersatu.

Zainol was sacked from Umno after expressing support for Ahmad Faizal.

“My attendance (at the press conference) was only to mark my acceptance of his (Zainol) entry and welcome the others’ support for Bersatu in Perak,” he said in the same statement.

He also thanked the people of Perak for their “criticisms” over his decision yesterday and assured the newly-installed Harapan state government will put the rakyat’s interests first.

In a separate statement, PKR Perak clarified on Ahmad Faizal’s behalf that the menteri besar had not been informed of Jamaluddin’s presence at the press conference.

“I would to clarify that the Menteri Besar as the chair of Perak Bersatu was not informed nor did he invite an individual named Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi at the event to welcome Sungai Manik assemblyperson Zainol into Perak Bersatu yesterday,” said PKR Perak information chief Senator Siti Aishah Shaik Ismail.