Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) co-founder Anina Saadudin and vice-president Hamidah Osman have quit the party.
Anina was the first to announce her resignation.
"Today I announce that I am quitting Bersatu. I will continue my struggle to defend the people based on love for Malays and the Ummah (Muslims) through an NGO platform which I will be announcing soon," Anina said in a press conference today at Bandar Baru Bangi.
Hamidah's resignation was announced later through a statement from Bersatu secretary-general Shahruddin Md Salleh.
"Bersatu's leadership council has agreed to accept the resignation of Hamidah as vice-president and Gopeng Bersatu sponsor as well as a Bersatu member effective Sept 16.
"Bersatu respects her wishes and thanks her for her contributions to the party," Shahruddin said.
In a statement which she read out, Anina said Bersatu is being badly governed by leaders who cannot be criticised.
She appeared to be particularly dissatisfied with Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin and deputy president Mukhriz Mahathir, claiming that their past positions in government did not mean they had absolute power in the party.
“Even the people who fund the party do not have absolute power in the party (because) without members who work hard to help shape and support the development of the party, the leadership will be very lonely at the top,” she said.
The party she co-founded is no longer based on fairness, transparency, and integrity as it was meant to be when it first started, she lamented.
Anyone who vocally challenges party decisions or leaders will be “frozen out”, she added.
“Like the Internal Security Act (ISA), I was politically punished without trial and without black-and-white in Bersatu.
“For example, I was cast out from the party’s supreme council through a WhatsApp group,” she said.
Bersatu chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad once told her to continue to speak the truth even if she is disliked by others, she said, which is something she continues to hold close to her heart today.
That is why, she said, even though her words today are disliked by Mahathir himself, she will continue to voice out as she is doing it for the rakyat and not for any individual interest.
Anina is the second of the seven founders of Bersatu to quit the party, after Kamarul Azman Habibur Rahman, who quit in April this year.
Kamarul Azman had said that he made that decision because he was disappointed by the direction the party was taking, as well as many internal issues.
Hamidah meanwhile has been accused of masterminding an internal party rebellion to pressure Muhyiddin to quit as president. - Mkini
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