Several Umno leaders set to join PKR soon, claims Zahidi

PETALING JAYA: More Umno leaders are set to join PKR soon, says Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin.

The former Umno supreme council member said he and several party leaders are set to submit their membership forms to PKR on Feb 4.

“I will officially join PKR with 100 Padang Besar Umno division members. Many branches in Padang Besar are also expected to be dissolved.

“Many people in Umno asked me how to join PKR and this includes a number of central leaders.

"Some also want to join Perikatan Nasional, simply because they disagree with the (Umno) president’s ways,” he was quoted as saying by Sinar Harian on Monday (Jan 30).

ALSO READ: Umno expels ‘rogue’ MPs

Zahidi claimed there was discontent brewing among many party leaders and grassroots members on how president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and the supreme council had sacked and suspended several members without following due process.

Zahidi also criticised Ahmad Zahid for getting rid of leaders who were not aligned to him.

“Thankfully, the judges in our country can’t be touched by Ahmad Zahid. Otherwise, they would also get sacked,” added Zahidi.

In November, Zahidi was sacked from the party for standing as an independent in the 15th General Election after being dropped as a candidate by the party.

ALSO READ: GE15: Zahidi fields himself to contest as an independent for Padang Besar

Also sacked at the time were Arau MP Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, former Maran MP Datuk Seri Ismail Abd Muttalib, and Azhar Ahmad who stood in the Kuala Perlis state seat as an independent.

Zahidi failed to defend his Padang Besar parliamentary seat after losing his deposit by garnering 1,939 votes in a five-cornered fight won by Perikatan.

Shahidan stood in Arau on a PAS ticket and won with a 23,216-vote majority in a three-cornered fight against Umno and PKR.