Johor Bersatu secretary dismisses defection rumours

Johor Bersatu secretary Mohd Solihan Badri said there was no truth to rumours that three of its lawmakers would be leaving the party soon.

Speaking to reporters in Johor Baru today, Solihan said he would be the first to know if defections were to happen.

"This is just a rumour – it's a normal thing in politics, but we will not stop anyone who feels that they could no longer agree with us and have the need to 'divorce', (so in cases as such) we will divorce them.

"We just hope that we do not end up being each other's enemies," he was quoted as saying by Star Online.

Umno's Hasni Mohammad leads the Johor government with a two-seat majority. It takes only one defection to result in a hung assembly.

The speculations on the viability of Hasni’s administration followed the widely publicised efforts by Bersatu members to leave the party recently, including in Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's power base of Pagoh.

Meanwhile, Solihan said the situation with the state government was "under control" and that state cabinet members meet Hasni for breakfast every Monday.

He confirmed that he and fellow cabinet member Mazlan Bujang were unable to attend the breakfast session this morning because they were working.

On the decision of Pagoh Bersatu division head Abd Wahab Ibrahim to quit the party, Solihan said the party will have no problem finding a replacement.

"Our main task right now is to prepare all divisions for any snap polls that might happen.

"Pagoh is one of the divisions with more than 20 branches so we would not have any problems in replacing those who left and will continue our support for the prime minister and Bersatu president," he added.

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