Zambry: No sacked Bersatu MPs have sought to return to Umno

BN secretary-general Zambry Abdul Kadir revealed that the coalition has not been approached by any recently sacked Bersatu MPs, who were once Umno members, to potentially return to the party.

Zambry, who is also an Umno supreme council member, added that BN and Umno will not interfere with the sacking of Bersatu lawmakers, including Larut MP Hamzah Zainudin, the former Bersatu deputy president who remains the parliamentary opposition leader.

“As for whether any meetings have taken place, none so far. Perhaps discussions are still happening at their level.

“As I said, at the BN level, we do not want to interfere in their affairs.

“We know they are going through internal turmoil, so let them resolve their issues first,” he said to reporters in Parliament today.

Zambry was asked if Hamzah and 18 other lawmakers aligned with him, several of whom were previously in Umno, had responded to the “Rumah Bangsa” vision of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, to reunite former party members and leaders.

“We (BN) would not want to be the ones initiating that (meeting).

“Their matters should remain their own for now. Let them settle their problems first, and of course, they will have their own plans,” Zambry said when quizzed further.

Opposition leader post

Hamzah claimed to have “majority support” against Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin in Parliament, but it remains unclear whether other opposition parties will move to retain him as opposition leader.

Earlier today, a source close to Perikatan Nasional’s leadership told Malaysiakini that Muhyiddin, in a recent phone call with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, had left the decision on a new opposition leader to PAS.

“It is understood that Muhyiddin has left it to PAS to decide on the opposition leader’s position,” said the source.

This follows the appointment of PAS vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Moktar as the new PN chairperson, replacing Muhyiddin, whose resignation had triggered a series of upheavals within Bersatu and the federal opposition.

READ MORE: Experts: Hamzah’s fate lies on ability to retain opposition chief post

Separately, PAS assistant secretary-general Syahir Sulaiman, in a Facebook post today, revealed that Muhyiddin and Hadi had discussed the opposition leader’s position.

When contacted, however, the Bachok MP declined further comment, saying an explanation would be provided by PN chief whip Takiyuddin Hassan.

“God willing, the PN chief whip will provide an explanation later,” he said.

On Monday, Hamzah declined to comment on his fate as the opposition leader, while Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Ramli Nor said the speaker’s office had yet to receive any formal instruction or official documents on the issue.

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