The Kemelah assemblyman from Umno said not a single state legislator from the party has thus far hopped over to the opposition, especially PPBM.
He said the Umno representatives were all loyal in wanting to continue serving under the leadership of menteri besar and state party chairman Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
“I am of the view that PPBM is so desperate that it is willing to claim that there are Umno assemblymen who will switch parties,” he said.
He added that assemblymen in the Batu Pahat parliamentary constituency, who were said to be implicated, have issued denials of any such move.
“I see that the remark made by the PPBM leader is a joke,” he told FMT
PPBM’s Batu Pahat division chairman Mohd Zaid Mohd Yusof was quoted by Malaysiakini on Thursday as saying that negotiations were ongoing for at least one Umno assemblyman facing pressure in the party to join PPBM.
Rengit assemblymen Ayub Jamil, who was speculated on social media as wanting to switch parties, yesterday denied any notion that he was planning to leave Umno for the Pakatan Harapan (PH) component.
“Everything that has been mentioned on this matter is slander made with cheap political motives,” he said.
“I have never even once met them (opposition), let alone held discussions with them,” he added.
Ayub Rahmat said Johor Umno was not easily intimidated by such attacks from the opposition, particularly PPBM.
“I myself am convinced that Johor Umno and BN have their own strengths and that Johor Umno members have greater experience,” he said.
“I am convinced that the people want to see (in power) a government or party that works, and not a party that is premised on an individual’s revenge,” he said, referring to PPBM president and Pagoh MP Muhyiddin Yassin who was formerly Umno deputy president and deputy prime minister.