PKR defection: Abdullah refuses to confirm or deny

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has refused to confirm or deny whether two PKR assemblymen have defected to his party.

Abdullah said however that if and when such a crossover took place, he would make an announcement.

When asked about the rumours of the two PKR men crossing over, Abdullah initially answered: “Insya-allah(God-willing).”

He then continued to say that they would want to join because they believed in the Umno struggle.

“So we accept this choice. When it happens, there will of course be the submission of forms,” he said at a press conference after he officiated at the Federal Territories Day celebration Sunday.

Abdullah also would not confirm if there were more than two assemblymen who had crossed over.

When pressed again if such a crossover had happened or not, Abdullah said: “When it is confirmed, I will inform (you).”

Abdullah said that in the interest of expanding Umno’s membership, the party was open to all and it did not matter if those who wanted to join were from another party.

He did deny that Umno had ordered the pinching of PKR’s assemblymen in response to the crossover of Umno’s Bota assemblymen Datuk Nasarudin Hashim to PKR.

Perak PKR chief, Osman Abdul Rahman, said on Saturday that two of its assemblymen Jamaluddin Mat Radzi and Osman Jailu -- had gone missing. Osman had accused Umno of trying to lure the duo.

ROYCE CHEAH
Star Online
01/02/09

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