Ex-UMNO reps only want to return people’s mandate to PH – Anwar

7 Nov 2021

By Farah Salim

KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the former UMNO assemblymen who retracted their support for Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Sulaiman Md Ali only wanted to return the people’s mandate to Pakatan Harapan (PH) who won during the last election.

Hence they should not be called ‘traitors’ since they were doing it for the people, he said in a video recording uploaded on his Facebook.

On Oct 5, Melaka assembly was dissolved after four assemblyman pulled their support for the chief minister and has paved way for state polls which will be held in Nov 20.

These assembylmen are former chief minister Idris Haron (Umno-Sungai Udang), Nor Azman Hassan (Umno-Pantai Kundor), Noor Effandi Ahmad (Bersatu-Telok Mas) and Norhizam Hassan Baktee (Independent-Pengkalan Batu).

“Who have they betrayed? The narrative as mentioned by PH Melaka, Keadilan, DAP and Amanah is that the four assemblymen pulled their support to allow the party who won the people’s mandate during the last election to return to power.

“This means that they are not traitors to the mandate of the people. They have discussed clearly with PH Melaka that is to return the confiscated mandate,” he reasoned.

PH has decided to field Idris and Nor Azman as candidates in Melaka polls by running under the PKR and AMANAH, respectively.

However, Anwar who is the PKR President explained that PH refused to accept Norhizam as he defected from DAP last year and caused the collapse of Melaka State Assembly.