Discuss Umno Defections At Harapan Council Saifuddin

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The Pakatan Harapan presidential council is the proper platform to hear component parties’ views regarding Bersatu’s move to admit former Umno MPs as members, said the coalition’s secretary-general Saifuddin Abdullah
He said the issue of former Umno members joining Pakatan Harapan parties had been raised in the council before and the understanding was that each component party was free to decide on its own recruitment process
“If there are any views on that process, it would be discussed at the presidential council,” he told reporters today when asked
He was speaking at a press conference following a roundtable discussion between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and several youth groups held at the Institute of Foreign Relations in Kuala Lumpur
The next presidential council meeting has yet to be fixed and may even be postponed despite a request by DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng to hold the meeting earlier than scheduled
Saifuddin said the council's meetings are customarily held on the first Friday of each month meaning that the next meeting should be on March 1
He confirmed that Lim had asked Harapan chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad to hold the meeting earlier to discuss the issue of former Umno MPs joining Bersatu
He said the meeting, however, would have to be rescheduled as it fell just one day before polling day for the Semenyih by-election
“Yes, there is a possibility that we either delay the meeting or find another date that is before March 1,” he said
Seven former Umno MPs had joined Bersatu on Tuesday namely Mas Ermieyati Samsuddin (Masjid Tanah), Hamzah Zainuddin (Larut), Shabudin Yahaya (Tasek Gelugor), Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz (Tanah Merah), Abdul Latiff Ahmad (Mersing), Mohd Fasiah Mohd Fakeh (Sabak Bernam), and Rosol Wahid (Hulu Terengganu)
Several Harapan leaders from other component parties had voiced disagreement with the move while a few have defended it
Lim said he would bring up the issue of defections at the next presidential council meeting. - Mkini

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