The former deputy communications and multimedia minister said he will be submitting his PKR membership form on Feb 4, and claimed that several national level Umno leaders intend to do likewise, Sinar Harian reported.

“I will officially join PKR on Feb 4 together with 100 Padang Besar Umno members. Many of the branches in Padang Besar are also expected to be dissolved.

“Many people in Umno have asked me about how to join PKR, and this includes a number of central Umno leaders. Some also want to join Perikatan Nasional (PN). All this, simply because they disagree with the president’s methods,” he was quoted as saying.

Zahidi was sacked by Umno in November after standing as an independent candidate in the 15th general election (GE15), having been dropped by the party.

He failed to defend his Padang Besar seat, getting only 1,939 votes and losing his deposit, in a five-cornered fight that was won by PN’s Rushdan Rusmi.

According to Zahidi, there is discontent among “many” Umno leaders and the grassroots over how party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and the Supreme Council were “cleaning up” the party without following procedures.

Last Friday, Umno sacked former Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and former Selangor Umno chairman Noh Omar.

Meanwhile, Sembrong MP Hishammuddin Hussein, former information chief Shahril Hamdan, ex-Jempol MP Salim Sharif, and Tebrau Umno leader Maulizan Bujang were suspended for six years.

Zahidi also took Zahid to task for sacking Umno leaders who were not aligned with him, just to ensure that he remained party president.

“Thankfully, the judges in our country can’t be touched by Zahid. Or else, they would also get sacked,” he said in a dig over the ongoing court cases involving the deputy prime minister.