The Malaysian Insight

UMNO’s leadership is not surprised at its Bukit Gantang MP’s departure from the party as they knew his personal reasons for doing so, party information chief Annuar Musa said.

Annuar said the leadership respected Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal’s decision.

“We knew earlier. Some people have personal reasons. We understand well and we respect his wishes,” Annuar told The Malaysian Insight.

However, the Ketereh MP would not say what Syed Abu Hussin’s personal reasons were.

“But for certain reasons, I cannot discuss them openly,” he said.

Syed Abu Hussin, who headed the Bukit Gantang Umno division, declared this afternoon that he was quitting Umno and Barisan Nasional effective July 1.

He said there was instability in Umno because of the ongoing party elections and those who had helped the party win the Bukit Gantang federal seat and state seats within had been rejected in the party polls.

He said he would serve as an independent MP and not join another party after leaving Umno.

Syed Abu Hussin’s announcement came three days after his fellow Bagan Serai MP Noor Azmi Ghazali quit the party. The latter also had problems with the grassroots in his division, claiming that they sabotaged him.

The two Perak MPs’ departure reduces Umno’s parliamentary seats in the Dewan Rakyat to 52.

Perak Umno liaison committee deputy chairman Saarani Mohamad urged other elected reps from BN not to follow suit but to be patient until Umno concluded its party polls this weekend.

“We have asked them to be patient until June 30. When we have elected our new president, we will start working.

“We can’t do anything now because the top leadership positions have yet to be filled. After we have a new president, we will know the party’s direction.

“The people who left are impatient, and weak in facing trials,” he said.

Saarani, who is also Kota Tampan assemblyman, said the duo’s departure from Umno did not jeopardise the party.

“It’s just the two of them. Perak Umno has hundreds of thousands of members. Umno won’t die because it lost two MPs.

“They each have their own excuses. I am proud that we still have hundreds of thousands with us.

“So it is up to them – the candidates who choose to leave the party after winning the election. The people will judge them,” he said. – June 27, 2018.