KUALA LUMPUR: Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz insists she is her own person who makes her own decisions, and not one who follows what others are doing.
The former Umno International Trade and Industry minister today voiced her intention of joining Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), however took offense on being grouped with Jeli MP Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed or Tok Pa, as he is more commonly known as.
"Don't put me in the same group as Tok Pa. Excuse me, don't do it, I'm Rafidah Aziz," she told reporters on the sidelines of the Malaysian Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators' symposium, here, today.
Rafidah said it mattered not to her if others wanted to jump parties, possibly referring to Mustapa who recently announced his departure from Umno and subsequently joining Bersatu.
“Don’t do that, it makes me very angry. Just because some idiot joined, I want to join. I make my own decisions,” she stressed.
Rafidah also dismissed questions on whether she was offered any positions in the party.
She said that the Prime Minister knew her well and she would be the first to retreat if anything was dangled.
“The problem is that people think that you do something because you want something in exchange.
“I am 75 and retired, enough is enough,” she added.
With regard to joining Bersatu, Rafidah said she definitely wants to join the party but has not gotten around to doing so.
“I thought I might as well join and I already told president of Bersatu (Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad) that I’ll join voluntarily.
“But I have not gotten around to getting the form. The Prime Minister even offered to get me the form but I said I’ll do it myself.
“But to me your heart is more important than signing a form. The fact that I was helping to do what little I could shows better commitment than signing a piece of paper,” she said while dismissing questions on when she intended to officially join the party.
Rafidah said that the move was just a symbolic gesture as she was already working for change in the government.
She also said that she was not thinking of contesting so the matter was immaterial.