Deputy Works Minister Shahruddin says will quit govt post to strengthen Bersatu

PETALING JAYA: All eyes are on Deputy Works Minister Datuk Shahruddin Md Salleh, as he expressed readiness to resign his government post to further strengthen and save Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.

He said that he wanted to see the party to remain strong and his love for Bersatu was above any leaders, including party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin or its former chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who are currently in a political tussle.

"If I am required to quit my position as the Deputy Works Minister, I will quit, to strengthen Bersatu, so I will be able to focus on the party," he said in a statement attributed to him on Tuesday (June 2).

"If I have to leave my friends in Perikatan Nasional and return to Pakatan Harapan with an assurance that Bersatu will remain strong and survive, then I am prepared to do so," added Shahruddin.

Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin, on May 30, had explained that Dr Mahathir and four other former leaders had terminated their membership on their own volition and were not expelled.

The other four were Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, Dr Maszlee Malik and Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah.

Shahruddin admitted that he had met with Dr Mahathir after his membership was "automatically disqualified."

" I asked Tun, is it true you have joined the opposition?

"Never," Dr Mahathir had inform Shahruddin, saying the latter had denied it.

He said that party members had worked hard to build the party during the last general election.

"At that time, I was the Jorak state assemblyman, and we had gone back and forth from the Bersatu headquarters to carry out the duty as the secretary-general and to help some with duties in Pagoh, and it is normal for us to sleep in the car at the RnR.

"Majority who joined the party is because of Dr Mahathir, and not because of my name... Shahruddin... Nobody knows me. Just an assemblymen, not even a state exco and nobody in the Barisan government, not even a tiny contribution," he said in the posting.

Shahruddin also questioned which coalition would allow Bersatu to contest in the Sri Gading seat in the upcoming general election.

"Will Perikatan or Pakatan give an easy path without any opposition to accept Bersatu to contest in Sri Gading in the 15th General election.

"PN or PH? That is also my answer to the main question.

"Is it safer for Bersatu to be in Perikatan or Pakatan?" he asked.

He added that he did not want to see the infighting within the party to go on.

"We can faint when we read the debates on the social media.

" We keep tugging each other's kain (clothing)... Which went viral... Without any shame or no embarrassment.

"What kind of culture is this?" he further noted.