PETALING JAYA: Parti Pejuang Tanah Air has dismissed speculation that former Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin is set to join the party.
Its president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir (pic) also rejected claims that negotiations had taken place between Pejuang and Hamzah’s camp to work together.
“That is not true,” Mukhriz said when contacted yesterday.
The denial comes amid intensifying speculation over Hamzah’s political future after his expulsion from Bersatu earlier this year, including reports linking him to plans for a new political vehicle.
Questions continue to swirl over the political future of Hamzah, who was sacked from the party in February for allegedly breaching its constitution.
Since then, the Larut MP has been linked to plans to take over a new party alongside several other sacked former Bersatu leaders.
Referred to as “Team Reset”, they include Indera Mahkota MP Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal and Tasek Gelugor MP Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan.
It is understood that Hamzah will make an announcement on the matter in the middle of this month.
Political speculation has further intensified following reports that Hamzah has been actively exploring the possibility of taking over a smaller political party, believed to be Berjasa, ahead of a potential launch event expected in Kota Baru, Kelantan.
Bersatu disciplinary board chairman Datuk Mohd Radzi Manan said in a notice that Hamzah’s sacking was decided at its meeting on Feb 12.
He said the board decided to strip Hamzah of his membership rights in the party under Clause 22.5 of Bersatu’s constitution.
“(The dismissal is) due to Datuk Seri’s actions violating Clause 9.1.4 of the Bersatu constitution,” he said.
On May 25, PAS had discussed, among others, an alleged movement among Bersatu’s grassroots supporting Hamzah’s “Team Reset”.
On May 22, PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang said the Islamist party would re-evaluate its cooperation with Bersatu after several actions by the party that allegedly violate the camaraderie within Perikatan Nasional.
