Tengku Zafrul quits Umno for PKR

Summary

• Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul resigns from Umno to join PKR.

• He is also resigning as a member of Umno’s supreme council and the Kota Raja Umno chief.

Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz has tendered his resignation letter to Umno and announced his decision to join PKR.

Taking to Facebook tonight, Zafrul, who is presently a senator, said the decision was not made easily and he had sought viewpoints and advice from friends both within and outside Umno, including party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

“Today, I submitted my resignation letter to the Umno leadership. In that letter, I stated my decision to resign as a member of the supreme council, Kota Raja Umno division chief and Umno member.”

He said he had ruminated deeply on the decision as he had been an Umno member since 1997.

Zafrul said he has communicated his intention to join PKR to party president Anwar Ibrahim and secretary-general Fuziah Salleh.

He added that he will undergo the standard application process to become a PKR member.

This comes amid reignited speculation of a cabinet shuffle after two PKR ministers - Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli and Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad - resigned from their cabinet posts.

Cabinet reshuffle incoming?

Rumours of a cabinet reshuffle had come up as DAP and PKR held internal elections in the first half of the year.

This is because Zafrul will be stepping down as a senator in mid-December after serving out the maximum two terms.

In December, Anwar confirmed there were discussions within the party about Zafrul joining them.

However, Umno secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the party would never allow party hopping among members of the federal coalition government.

On Feb 10, Zafrul said he would discuss it with Zahid before deciding.

Then, Zahid advised Zafrul not to make a hasty decision about leaving the party for PKR.

After that, Zafrul affirmed his commitment to Umno, saying his focus shifted from joining PKR to his own work as a minister.

Who’s in and out of Anwar’s next cabinet?

Post DAP polls, cabinet shuffle talk grows as Zafrul to exit in December

Umno not a 'political transit point', Puad warns Zafrul

Zafrul: My focus is on work, not joining PKR

Don't be hasty in switching from Umno to PKR, Zahid tells Zafrul

Joining another party? I'll discuss with Zahid first, says Zafrul