Now Jeli MP declares support for Anwar

PETALING JAYA: Jeli MP Zahari Kechik (pic) has declared his allegiance to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, becoming the fourth Bersatu MP to do so in less than a month.

In a statement yesterday, Zahari said he took the stand of shifting from the Opposition to the Madani government for the sake of development and progress of his parliamentary constituency.

“I realise that the people must be prioritised and the development continued without any compromise in these challenging times. As an MP, I have to service the people of Jeli as best as I can.

“However, I will remain loyal to and stay as a member of Bersatu.

“I am ready to face the risks and action from the disciplinary board to ensure the voters of Jeli do not become victims of the situation.

“They should not be left behind in development from the Federal Government,” he said.

Just like the other three MPs before him, Zahari added that his support for Anwar would remain until the next general election and that his shift of allegiance was not made under any duress or pressure from anyone.

On Tuesday, Gua Musang MP Mohd Azizi Abu Naim was the third MP from Bersatu, which is part of Perikatan Nasional, to declare his support for the unity government.

The Perikatan leader from Kelantan, who is also the Nenggiri assemblyman, said his decision came after studying and listening to Anwar’s Budget 2024 presentation that he said was aimed at facilitating economic recovery and alleviating the people’s financial burdens.

His switch followed that of Kuala Kangsar MP Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid on Oct 12 and Labuan MP Datuk Dr Suhaili Abdul Rahman on Oct 30.

Suhaili and Iskandar Dzulkarnain have been suspended from Bersatu for four and six years respectively by the party’s disciplinary board.