PASIR MAS: Over 200 people from 147 families in several villages in the Rantau Panjang parliamentary constituency have quit Umno to join Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) today.
They handed over their membership forms to Rantau Panjang Bersatu division chief Datuk Shaari Mat Hussain in a simple ceremony held in Tok Uban here.
The families were from several areas including Pengkalan Machang and Nibong.
Present were State Perikatan Nasional (PN) deputy chairman Datuk Kamarudin Md Nor and incumbent Rantau Panjang member of parliament (MP) Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff.
Pengkalan Machang Bersatu branch chief Mohamad Nor Husin said the group made the decision as they had lost faith in Umno.
He believed more Umno members in the area would follow suit and join Bersatu soon.
One of them, Abdulllah Salleh, said decided to leave Umno after being with the party for the last five terms.
"We are confident that PN is capable of governing the state and country well," said the 64-year-old carpenter.