INVESTMENT, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz has officially resigned from UMNO and announced his intention to join PKR.
In a Facebook post, Tengku Zafrul revealed he had submitted his resignation as a member of UMNO’s supreme council, Kota Raja division chief, and party member.
UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Dr Puad Zarkashi has also slammed Tengku Zafrul over his decision to leave UMNO, calling him an opportunist who will be a burden to his new party. Puad said PKR accepting Tengku Zafrul would be “a stab in the back for UMNO” and argued that Tengku Zafrul lacked true commitment to the party.
His intentions to join PKR have caused further tensions within the ruling coalition in power, with UMNO secretary-general Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki warning PKR against accepting Tengku Zafrul into its ranks.
However, Puad added that UMNO has not officially received Tengku Zafrul’s resignation letter. Tengku Zafrul, however, said he already submitted his resignation letter to the leadership.
“I submitted my resignation letter to the UMNO leadership,” he said, adding that he had informed PKR leaders Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Fuziah Salleh of his intention to join the party.
Having been with UMNO since 1997, Tengku Zafrul described the move as difficult and said he had consulted various parties, including UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
His resignation comes amid renewed talk of an impending cabinet reshuffle, especially as two PKR ministers — Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad — recently vacated their posts. Tengku Zafrul is also set to step down as senator in mid-December, having served two terms.
Previously, Zahid had cautioned Tengku Zafrul against making a hasty decision, and Tengku Zafrul had publicly recommitted to UMNO. However, he has now reversed course and will undergo the standard process to join PKR.
For Asyraf, such actions could spark distrust among coalition members, calling such a move inappropriate.
“It is very inappropriate for any party in the unity government to accept members from other allied parties arbitrarily,” he said, highlighting concerns over loyalty and cooperation.
Meanwhile, UMNO Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh called Tengku Zafrul’s exit “great news” and sarcastically dared PKR to prove its loyalty to Umno by accepting him – while also urging Tengku Zafrul to resign from his Cabinet post.
For Puad, Tengku Zafrul’s absence from recent Supreme Council meetings was telling, and he should have been expelled much earlier.
“He was made an election candidate, a division chief, a Supreme Council member, and appointed as investment, trade and industry minister. It should never be repeated,” said Puad, warning UMNO against empowering individuals with no party loyalty.
PKR will evaluate membership applications, including one from Tengku Zafrul, by considering input from grassroots members and unity government partners. No official application from Tengku Zafrul has been received, despite his social media statement.
Applications must be submitted online, processed, and reviewed by the central leadership council before a decision is made, said Fuziah, who is also party secretary-general. — May 31, 2025
