IPOH, June 28 — Perak Mentri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu said today he would not invite Bukit Gantang MP Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fusal to join Pakatan Harapan (PH) after the latter quit Umno.

Ahmad Faizal, who is from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM), said it was up to the PH central leadership to accept Abu Hussin’s membership if he applied to join the coalition.

"We are a party that is fighting to save the country from all problems. If he wants to join us, his membership will be decided by the party’s central leadership,” he said.

Faizal was speaking to reporters here today after attending Perak Water Board’s Raya open house held at Casuarina@Meru here.

Congratulating Abu Hussin for making the decision to leave Umno, Faizal said the former had made the right choice.

"I hope he can invite more to leave the party that is no longer relevant and practises a destructive culture,” he said.

On Wednesday, Abu Hussin announced his decision to resign from Umno to be an independent lawmaker effective Sunday (July 1).

Abu Hussin was reported to have said his decision stemmed from last weekend’s party election that saw two assemblymen — Ahmad Saidi Mohamad Daud and Jamilah Zakaria — fail to make it into the division line-up.

Abu Hussin is the second Barisan Nasional (BN) representative to leave the coalition in days. On Sunday, Bagan Serai MP Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali also announced his decision to leave BN to be an independent lawmaker.

On another matter, Faizal said he would announce next week the percentage of discounts on water consumption for its consumers.

"We cannot lower the tariff but we will offer discounts to all domestic users. We will also give free water to target groups,” he said, adding that the reason for the delay in announcing the discounts was that the state was still determining who should be given free water.

Faizal also confirmed that government functions would no longer use the Perak Aman Jaya tagline.

"During speeches, the tagline need not be mentioned. Even last time, during the leadership of Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Razak, they give salam only.”

The tagline was coined by former mentri besar Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir.