SEREMBAN: Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz (pic) is not bound by the anti-hopping law because he is not an elected representative, says Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.
This was echoed by Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, who said that Tengku Zafrul was appointed as the Investment, Trade and Industry Minister in his capacity as a senator.
According to Bernama, Mohamad added that the review of a pledge signed by Tengku Zafrul when he was a Barisan Nasional candidate in the 15th General Election also cannot be enforced because he did not win in the election.
"That is not included within the scope of the agreement because Tengku Zafrul did not win the election. That is a pledge made by an elected representative or a State Assemblyman or a Member of Parliament (referring to the pledge).
"If they win, the seat belongs to the party, not to the individual, and the individual who becomes a candidate and wins, they sign many agreements including reimbursing the costs incurred by the party and many other things.
"Tengku Zafrul did not win. He became a minister on the basis of being a senator. So I don't see that the pledge can be enforced against him," he told reporters after a luncheon here on Saturday (May 31).
He said this when commenting on the statement by UMNO Supreme Council Member Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi, who urged the party to take stern action against Tengku Zafrul, who announced his departure from UMNO to join Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).
Puad also asked the party to review the pledge signed by Tengku Zafrul when he was a BN candidate in PRU15, including the possibility of demanding RM100 million in compensation if Tengku Zafrul's action, who lost in the Kuala Selangor parliamentary seat in the last general election, is considered party-hopping.
On Friday (May 30), Tengku Zafrul announced his resignation as an Umno supreme council member, Kota Raja Umno division chief, and Umno member.
Asked whether the resignation would affect Umno, Mohamad, who is also the Member of Parliament for Rembau, said that Tengku Zafrul did not hold a high position in the party and it would not have a significant impact on Umno.
In other developments, Mohamad, who is also the Foreign Minister, said that efforts to combat human trafficking involving Malaysians in Vietnam, including scam crimes, are always a top agenda for Malaysia.
