ARAU: Two former Barisan Nasional (BN) state executive councillors (exco) were among more than 900 Umno members to join Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) since last month.
State PPBM chairman Amier Hassan said the two former exco members were Datuk Seri Syed Razlan Syed Putra Jamalullail and Jafperi Othman, who had been Pauh and Guar Sanji assemblymen, respectively.
He said Syed Razlan’s application for membership in PPBM had been accepted today, three weeks after he had sent it in.
“He joined PPBM not to seek a position but to help the party. I had offered him a position as a committee member in the (Arau PPBM) division, but he turned it down because he wanted to concentrate on (helping the) agriculture (sector in the state),” he said, adding that Syed Razlan had vast experience in the field.
Amier was speaking to reporters after a PPBM thanksgiving function at his residence.
At the function, it was also announced that PPBM Supreme Council member Wan Saiful Wan Jan had been appointed the state party liaison committee secretary.
Amier, who is PPBM Arau division chief, said Jafperi’s application for membership in PPBM had initially been turned down but was later accepted.
“After listening to the advice of Prime Minister (Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad), they (the two former exco members) need a little time to change. We will give them time to change for the better,” he said.
On Tambun assemblyman Datuk Ismail Kassim, whose wish to join the party had been turned down earlier, Amier said the door was still open for the younger brother of Perlis Umno liaison committee chairman Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim.
“Even though I had rejected his application, it does not mean there is no place for him in PPBM. He can appeal to the national PPBM leadership. It is they who decide, not me. I only put in place guidelines (for the state leadership), but there are exceptions... these exceptions, we let the national leadership decide.”