Sg Acheh rep to join Perikatan component party soon

NIBONG TEBAL: Sungai Acheh assemblyman Zulkifli Ibrahim, who was expelled from PKR recently, is planning to join one of the parties under Perikatan Nasional.

Questioning the grounds for his expulsion from PKR and describing it as unfair, Zulkifli said he would make an announcement on the matter soon.

“To this day, I have not joined any party but I will announce soon which party I will join.

“Insyaallah, in the near future, I will be choosing Perikatan.

“I will be joining the Opposition bloc at the next Penang state assembly meeting. I am not an Independent, ” he told a press conference yesterday.

Zulkifli said it was his right to know why his membership was terminated and being issued a show-cause letter by the PKR leadership.

“This is shocking. I don’t even have the chance to explain or defend myself.

“What are PKR’s excuses for sacking me from the party? The party has not given me a valid reason, ” he said.

Zulkifli said he received the letter dated July 1 through WhatsApp on Friday, stating that he had 14 days to reply and appeal from the date of the letter being issued.

It is believed that Zulkifli will follow in the footsteps of Seberang Jaya assemblyman and former PKR deputy youth chief Dr Afif Bahardin, who joined Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia last month.

Zulkifli and Dr Afif were among the five lawmakers from Penang who met with Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on June 23.

The other three were Yusni, Zolkifly and Bertam assemblyman Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq.

The inclusion of Zulkifli as an Opposition member will increase Perikatan’s voice in the state assembly.

Currently, Perikatan has seven state assemblymen – Umno (two), Bersatu (three), PAS (one) and Zulkifli.

However, it is unlikely Penang will fall as DAP – with 19 seats – has a firm grip on the Penang assembly.

In another development, some 250 Ampang PKR leaders and members in Selangor quit the party en masse, citing loss of confidence in party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.