Noor Effandi no longer a Bersatu member, says party chief

MELAKA: The membership of Telok Mas assemblyman Datuk Noor Effandi Ahmad in Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia has been automatically revoked, says the party’s state chief.

Datuk Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen said Noor Effandi lost his membership after he went against the party’s rules by attending a press conference to announce his exit from the Perikatan Nasional-Umno state government.

On Monday, Noor Effandi joined Sungai Udang assemblyman and former chief minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron, Pantai Kundor assemblyman Datuk Nor Azman Hassan, both from Umno, and Independent Datuk Norhizam Hassan Baktee, in declaring that they had lost confidence in the leadership of Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali.

With the exception of Nor Azman, the others were state executive councillors in Sulaiman’s administration.

On another note, Mohd Rafiq, who is also Melaka Perikatan chief, announced that the coalition would hold a discussion with Melaka Umno to look into the possibility of cooperation in the state polls.

In Putrajaya, DAP’s central executive committee (CEC) said a coalition with a majority support should have been invited to form a new government instead of calling for a state election.

Khoo Poay Tiong, the assistant organising secretary of DAP’s CEC, said holding a state election would affect the country’s Covid-19 recovery efforts and might trigger a repeat of the Sabah election.

“Since the Perikatan government in Melaka has collapsed, the incumbent chief minister, Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali, should have tendered his resignation immediately as he no longer has the majority in the state assembly.

“He has no position to advise for the dissolution of the state assembly.

“A new government should be formed in Melaka in accordance with the state constitution.

“The party or coalition with the majority should be given the first opportunity and invitation to form a new government,” said Khoo in a statement.

Khoo, who is also Kota Melaka MP, added that the internal bickering within Melaka’s Perikatan Nasional government was widely known and had been going on since it was formed in March 2020.

He added that on Monday, the CEC had met with Melaka Pakatan Harapan chairman Adly Zahari, who is also the coalition’s former chief minister, to discuss the state’s political situation.

Khoo said that the CEC had also conveyed to Adly its preferred candidate for chief minister.