KUALA LUMPUR: PKR will not accept any defectors from Umno, said the party’s advisory council chairman Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
The Pakatan Harapan (PH) president said she had no faith in these party-hoppers’ ability to champion the national reform agenda.
The Deputy Prime Minister noted that this was in contrast to those who became part of PKR prior to the 14th General Election (GE14) as they clearly backed the reform agenda.
“At this time, we do not accept (party-hoppers) if (from) Umno. There is more confidence in those who were with us prior to the general election (GE14) in seeking reformation.
“In regards to others (defectors from Umno post GE14), we have to see. We need to engage with them. The people wanted to change the government as part of reformation of the country.
“That is the basis for any consideration,” she said when met at the Parliament lobby today.
It was previously reported that PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim declared that the party would not entertain any notion of accepting former Umno leaders into PKR.
Following the historic GE14 on May 9, Umno had been hit with a series of defections, with the most recent incident seeing six of the party’s parliamentarians in Peninsula Malaysia jumping ship.
They were Hulu Terengganu MP Datuk Rosol Wahid, Datuk Seri Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz (Tanah Merah), Datuk Shabudin Yahaya (Tasek Gelugor), Datuk Rosol Wahid (Hulu Terengganu), Datuk Mohd Fasiah Mohd Fakeh (Sabak Bernam) and Datuk Dr Latiff Ahmad (Mersing).
On Dec 12, a significant number of Umno’s Sabah leadership - including five Parliamentarians, nine assemblymen, and two senators - left the party on the excuse that it no longer had a clear direction.