KUALA LUMPUR: Bersatu Youth (Armada) has accused PKR of disregarding Umno's warning by accepting Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz as a party member.
Its information chief Harris Idaham Rashid said the move could strain the Pakatan Harapan–Barisan Nasional alliance.
He said the matter is a true test of loyalty and solidarity between the two coalition partners.
“Tengku Zafrul left Umno and applied to join PKR despite the party’s secretary-general clearly stating on May 30 that it would be inappropriate for any component party to accept him to avoid disharmony,” he said in a statement on Saturday (Aug 9).
The Investment, Trade and Industry Minister confirmed that PKR had accepted his membership application.
In May, he resigned as an Umno supreme council member, Kota Raja division chief and party member.
He then said he would apply to join PKR and had conveyed his intention to party president Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Harris said PKR's decision to confirm Tengku Zafrul's membership showed it had ignored Umno's position.
“This action is also a reminder to Umno that they are merely passengers, not drivers, in this government,” he said.
Harris added Tengku Zafrul’s departure from Umno reinforced the view that the party no longer meets Malaysians’ aspirations, citing recent general and state election results.
He said the Pakatan–Barisan alliance is unsustainable, pointing to Sabah, where Pakatan partnered with Barisan and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah separately.
“In other words, Pakatan does not care what happens to Barisan as long as Pakatan is safe. The loyalty and sincerity between Pakatan and Barisan are only to ensure that the Putrajaya elite remain comfortable and protected,” he said.
