Be cautious of PN's 'diversion game', Umno man tells Anwar

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim must be cautious regarding the support from opposition lawmakers, said Kelantan Umno deputy information chief Noor Hariri Mohamed Noor.

Describing it as a “diversion game”, he expressed hope that the move would not “cloud the prime minister’s vision” in his bid to strengthen his position.

“The prime minister must consider factors such as the sincerity and loyalty of the three (Bersatu) MPs.

“As the saying goes, 'Divorced but still living under the same roof'," he added in a statement this afternoon.

Yesterday, Gua Musang MP Mohd Azizi Abu Naim became the third Bersatu MP to back the prime minister after Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan) and Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar).

Similar to the other two, Azizi said the decision would ensure that his constituents would benefit.

However, Hariri said he was not surprised by the justification, claiming that it was done to ensure that “allocations and projects for the respective constituencies come through them (the MPs)”.

He also pointed out that Suhaili and Iskandar only had their Bersatu membership suspended - rather than being expelled - in order to safeguard their status as MPs.

Hariri said allocations to opposition lawmakers were not restricted but development funds were channelled to relevant agencies to "facilitate direct benefits to the people in a targeted manner."

Previously, PN MPs claimed they had not received development allocations for their constituencies from the federal government.

Following that, Anwar called on opposition MPs to continue discussions with Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof last week regarding the matter.

Meanwhile, PN, which claimed that its lawmakers are being “blackmailed” into supporting the prime minister, said it is gathering information before lodging a police report.

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