Amanah's Khairuddin says he no longer supports Pakatan, Anwar as PM candidate

PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan (pic) has declared that he is no longer a Parti Amanah Negara member or supports Pakatan Harapan, citing his unwillingness to accept Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the coalition's prime minister candidate.

Khairuddin, who is known as Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's loyalist, said that he could no longer be under Pakatan due to the PKR president's inability to lead.

"I would like to thank Amanah president and the party top leadership for putting trust in me to contest in the Jasin parliamentary seat during the 14th General Election.

"Insya Allah, I will meet with the Amanah party president to explain my decision to return the Jasin parliamentary seat and to resign as a coordinator of the seat effective immediately," he said in a statement on Tuesday (July 7).

He also called on all Pakatan leaders to leave the coalition and warned that it would not be able to repeat its victory in the last general election.

"Pakatan is no longer a suitable platform to save the country as its leader could not even do much," he added.

"Honestly and sincerely, I care for Amanah top leadership especially its president, deputy president, and vice-presidents.

"However, I am forced to hold my political and religious principles and cannot be under the Pakatan leadership led by Anwar," said Khairuddin.

In the May 2018 General Election, Khairuddin lost to Barisan Nasional candidate Datuk Seri Ahmad Hamzah by a 219-vote majority in a three-cornered fight for the Jasin parliamentary seat.