Mohd Isquzawan Israq
KOTA KINABALU (Sept 26): Bersatu Putatan Armada chief Mohd Isquzawan Israq Datuk Seri Arsit has denied that 300 of the division’s members had quit and joined Umno.
According to him, the statement made by Umno Putatan’s acting divisional chief Jeffrey Nor is baseless and deliberately fabricated by him to pursue cheap popularity.
“It is true that two people have left the party, the Sembulan Selatan branch chief and the Tanjung Aru Lama branch chief but the Srikandi, Armada heads and members of the branches are still with Bersatu.
“In fact the branches have just conducted their delegates conference and therefore are still active. So Jeffrey’s claim is just empty talk and as to Sulaiman Salleh, the individual who claims to represent the group, he is not a member of Bersatu and we do not know who the individual is,” he said.
“I challenge Jeffrey to prove where the 300 Bersatu members are from. Enough with these lies, be a responsible leader and don’t make baseless accusations,” said Mohd Isquzawan Israq when commenting on media reports that 300 members from Bersatu and Parti Warisan in the Putatan parliamentary constituency had submitted application forms to join Umno during a meet-the-people session on Saturday.
Jeffrey was quoted as saying that earlier, a total of 630 members of Bersatu and Warisan Putatan had also applied to join Umno.
“This is the second group of Bersatu and Warisan members who have submitted application forms to join Umno as they claimed to be disappointed and deceived by the party’s various sweet promises,” Jeffrey claimed.
Mohd Isquzawan Israq believes that Jeffrey’s action was motivated by the latter’s desire to be nominated as a candidate for the Putatan parliamentary seat.
“I advise him to be a leader who really works for the party he joins and not to manipulate numbers to mislead the people,” he said in a statement on Monday.
Mohd Isquzawan Israq meanwhile disclosed that all 80 Bersatu branches of Putatan Division, including four which are still at the ‘sponsor’level, have conducted their branch meetings.
He also said that the Bersatu Putatan delegates’ conference is expected to be held on October 9, with a total of 600 representatives attending.