120 apply to rejoin BN parties

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PORT DICKSON: Barisan Nasional component party members who jump ship to join the Opposition almost always return to the fold, observed Tan Sri Isa Samad.

Isa, the Barisan candidate for the Bagan Pinang by-election and a former Umno vice-president, said these members became emotional and made the wrong decision by joining other parties.

He said they failed to realise that whatever decisions made by their respective leaders were for the benefit of all and not for certain select individuals.

Isa was speaking to reporters after accepting membership forms from 120 PKR members who wanted to rejoin Barisan.

Among those who applied to rejoin Umno were Teluk Kemang PKR secretary Norman Sulaiman and its treasurer Muhammadin Abu Bakar.

Back in BN: Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Afdal witnessing Isa receiving membership application forms from Norman in Port Dickson yesterday.

“I am confident that more members from the Opposition, particularly from PKR, will return to Umno.

“They have realised that PKR is all about (Datuk Seri) Anwar Ibrahim and nothing else,” Isa said.

“PKR does not fight for the rights of the Malays, Indians or Chinese. It is there to further the agenda of Anwar Ibrahim, who claimed he would be prime minister on Sept 16 last year,” he said.

Isa said the people in Teluk Kemang last year rejected Barisan’s Datuk S. Sothinathan, who had won the seat with a 17,777 vote majority in the 2004 election, pinning their hopes on the PKR candidate.

“But tell me what did you get? Do you see your new MP (Datuk Kamarul Bahrain) often?” he asked.

Isa appealed to the people not to repeat the mistakes of 2008 when three of the five state seats in the Teluk Kemang parliamentary constituency went to the Opposition. These were Chuah, Port Dickson and Lukut.

“You elect me now and I promise you that I will get things done. I have been a wakil rakyat for 30 years and am confident I can go a good 10 to 15 years more,” he said.

Speaking to reporters later, Norman said he made a huge mistake joining PKR.

“It is my hope that our applications would be accepted,” he said.

Muhammadin, who is also acting division chief, said the members had been misled into believing that the PKR would champion their rights.

“We were so wrong. But we have since repented and will go all out to ensure Tan Sri Isa wins,” he added.