THE Umno youth leadership today warned its ally, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) to stop enticing its members to join the latter or risk collapsing the fragile Perikatan Nasional Government.
“The Umno youth would like urge our allies to stop luring our members to join their political outfit if they wish to see the Perikatan Nasional Government remains intact.
“As everyone knows, the relationship between Umno and Bersatu is rocky and the recent statement by Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin is just adding fuel to the fire,” Umno youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said, in a Facebook post.
On Dec 31, Malay news portal Utusan Digital reported Hamzah as saying that his party has never enticed anyone to join their ranks and many have done so by their own free will.
Hamzah added that he cannot stop members of other political parties, including its allies, to join its ranks as Bersatu practices an “open door” policy.
“Bersatu never enticed Umno members to join us but if anyone wishes so, please feel free to do so. Whatever it is, we’re still under the Perikatan umbrella.
Learn from history, Bersatu
It is worth to note that Hamzah himself won his Larut MP seat under the Umno ticket in the last general election, before defecting to Bersatu in December 2018.
Hurling brickbats against Hamzah, Asyraf alleged that he had received reports from the grassroots that Bersatu leaders are bribing Umno members to join its ranks, in a move to weaken the nationalist party.
“I have received reports that Bersatu leaders are offering RM100 to Umno members to defect. Plus, every newly established Bersatu branch are receiving between RM3,000 and RM5,000 as financing.
“Therefore, Bersatu feigning ignorance over the matter and defending its vile move in the name of being open to all is just making Umno members furious.
“The recent moves by Bersatu only confirms our perception that the former and Perikatan Nasional coalition was formed to undermine and weaken Umno,” he opined.
Aysraf then urged Bersatu to learn from history, on how the previous Umno and PAS cooperation in the 1970s went downhill due to competition in signing up members.
“The breakup between Umno and PAS then led to decades of enmity, leading to the massive division between the two largest Malay parties of the nation.
“So instead of using funds to entice Umno members to join your party, disburse them to all coalition partners so that it can be channelled to those in need,” he remarked. – Jan 2, 2021
