PETALING JAYA: A Bersatu Supreme Council member claims more than 10 government MPs will switch their support to Perikatan Nasional (PN) to form a new government.
Redzuan Yusof said he was informed of internal discussions among the party’s top leadership about the matter, Sinar Harian reported.
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Five Bersatu MPs recently pledged their support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is also Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman and PKR president.
When asked if he felt more would follow suit, Redzuan instead claimed that 10 government MPs, including some from PKR, will declare their support for the opposition bloc before other government backbenchers join them.
“If you were to assume that more Bersatu MPs will switch sides, I think speculation that MPs from the government bloc, including BN (Barisan Nasional) and PKR, will support Perikatan Nasional to form a new government is (more) realistic,” he said.
“There are rumours that more than 10 MPs are considering switching blocs. They are examining the fundamental problems with the current government and realising that it is being controlled by DAP.
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“A tree won’t shake if there is no wind. How can Umno secretary-general (Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki) reveal that BN MPs have signed a party bond stating that they will have to pay the party RM100 million if they defect.”
Speaking at a ceramah in Kemaman, Terengganu, on Wednesday night, Asyraf reassured voters that Umno MPs were unlikely to switch allegiance to PN as they had signed a contract agreeing to pay RM100 million if they defected.
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On Tuesday, PN’s Bukit Gantang MP, Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal, declared his support for Anwar and the unity government after stating he was disappointed that PN did not negotiate for constituency development funds. He is the fifth Bersatu MP to back Anwar.
The other four are Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar), Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan), Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang) and Zahari Kechik (Jeli).
Meanwhile, Redzuan also did not rule out the possibility that one of the 17 component parties that forms the unity government might shift its support to PN en bloc.
“I don’t see the issue of MPs switching support benefiting anyone. Even though the unity government is said to have the support of 154 MPs, that support is still very fragile,” he said.
“It is up to the PN MPs if they want to switch support, (but) does it guarantee the stability of the existing government? I advise them not to make decisions that they will regret when PN forms a new government later.”
FMT has reached out to unity government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil for comment.