Umno loses another MP as Bukit Gantang rep quits

Umno has lost yet another lawmaker after its Bukit Gantang MP Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal quit the party.

Syed Abu Hussin announced his departure after expressing frustration at the results of the Umno wings elections last week.

"This disappointment has led me to resign as the Bukit Gantang Umno division chief and pass the leadership to my deputy.

"I will give my full attention to my duties as an MP to serve the rakyat to the best of my ability without the interference of the politics in Umno.

"With that, I am also announcing that I am quitting Umno and BN and will be an independent MP," he told a press conference in Taiping today.

Last Sunday, Bagan Serai MP Noor Azmi Ghazali also announcedhis exit from Umno and indicated that he wanted to join Bersatu.

The latest exit brings Umno's total MPs to 52 from the initial 54 that it won in the May 9 general election.

Syed Abu Hussin also stressed that he was not looking to join another party.

"I have not thought about joining any other parties nor have I been in talks with any parties. I will remain as an independent MP," he said.

'Slap in my face'

Earlier in the press conference, Syed Abu Hussin said he was upset that two assemblypersons under his parliamentary seat were not elected to divisional leadership.

They were Changkat Jering assemblyperson Ahmad Saidi Mohamad Daud and Trong assemblyperson Jamilah Zakaria.

"They did not get a position in the leadership. It is a slap in my face. What is the signal being sent when the people elected them (in the general election), yet they are not elected to the party leadership?" he said.

Syed Abu Hussin said he had rebuilt the Umno division over the last five years, and succeeded in wresting the seat from PAS, but the outcome of the party election had wrecked his efforts.

He also denied that his reason to quit Umno was flimsy.

"That is what other people say, but for me, I went through the trouble and pain of reviving Umno and succeeded in winning (Bukit Gantang), but this machinery is now being destroyed," he said. - Mkini