WITH THE SAME DNA, IQ LEVEL AS UMNO – DON’T EXPECT BERSATU TO CHANGE COURSE AT ITS AGM: UMNO DESERTERS TO BE DISCUSSED AT CLOSED-DOOR MEETING

DR Mahathir Mohamad will address the issue of Umno elected representatives defecting to Bersatu at its second annual general meeting this weekend, said Marzuki Yahya.

The Bersatu secretary-general said Dr Mahathir, who is party chairman, is also expected to set the tone for the party’s role in government as it convenes for the first time as a party in power.

“The issue of crossovers will be addressed by the chairman,” said Marzuki, as rumours swirl that Umno MP and assemblymen who left their party are set on joining the splinter party.

To date, the party has accepted three former Barisan Nasional MPs into its fold.

They are former international trade and industry minister Mustapa Mohamad (Jeli), former Umno Puteri chief Mas Ermieyati Samsudin (Masjid Tanah) and Noor Azmi Ghazali (Bagan Serai).

The three MPs accepted by the party will attend its assembly, he said.

“They are just ordinary members. They will not be given any platform to speak,” he told The Malaysian Insight recently.

Over the last two weeks, 19 Umno lawmakers left the party and declared themselves independents. But they are said to be waiting to join Bersatu.

Dr Mahathir has repeatedly stated that the party will only accept those who have a clean track record and are not tainted by any scandal.

Marzuki said the second AGM was critical to its future.

“Our first AGM was as opposition and this is our first AGM as a party in the government. This is the starting point for us.”  

Marzuki, who is also deputy foreign minister, said the delegates will use the platform to debate about economic and education policies for the government.

“The economic and educational position of the Malays is still behind and we will discuss how it can be developed.”

Bersatu secretary-general Marzuki Yahya says leaders must be able to separate the party from the government and be mindful when they speak at its annual general meeting this weekend. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, December 25, 2018.

But like the first AGM, the Bersatu delegates’ debate will be a closed-door affair for fear that “emotional” comments could offend the Pakatan Harapan coalition’s other component members.

“We are a new party and speakers could get emotional. Although we are a Malay party we don’t want the speakers to talk about Malay issues at the expense of the rights of other races.

“This is Malaysia. To be a good government, we need all the races. We don’t want incidents where people talk about other races and forget we are a multiracial country,” said the Penang state chairman.

Marzuki said Bersatu must avoid the same mistake as Umno, which reached a state where members could not distinguish the difference between voicing out within the party and voicing out as part of the government.

“The previous administration thought that the party was also the government and it could do whatever it wanted and hence lost. The party is the party, and the government is the government. They are two different organisations.”

While speakers are given guidelines, they are free to speak up, he said.

“There will be no attempts to stop anyone from speaking the truth. Previously, people were stopped from talking about the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) issues. We don’t want to block anyone in that sense.”

– https://www.themalaysianinsight.com