KUALA LUMPUR: An Umno Supreme Council member has taken a jab at a PKR member of Parliament who cautioned the Pakatan Harapan component against accepting high-profile leaders from other parties to protect its "clean" image.
In a Facebook post, Puad Zarkashi said there was no need for Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim to boast about how PKR was not a "trash bin" and claimed the party had a "track record" of using "the end to justify the means".
"When PKR accepted Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the seventh prime minister did that make PKR a trash bin?
"Would Hassan Karim oppose if Syed Saddiq and Hamzah (Zainuddin) applied to join PKR?," said Puad, alluding to opposition MPs, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin.
Puad was responding to Hassan's remarks in an FMT report that PKR was not a "trash bin" amid talk that many Bersatu leaders were looking to defect to the party.
Hassan said those with criminal records as well as the corrupt and bankrupt, should not be accepted into the party.
He said PKR, as a party that champions reforms, must maintain its "clean image".
Puad said Hassan should explain his basis for claiming PKR was a "clean" party.
"The people are the ones who are qualified to make that assessment, not him (Hassan) or (PKR deputy president) Rafizi Ramli."