KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 — Former Puteri Umno chief Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin announced today that she was quitting her party to be an independent lawmaker, making her the third MP to leave Umno.

The Masjid Tanah MP said in a statement that she was disappointed that Umno did not elect at least 70 per cent new faces at various levels in its party election.

"What sort of election is this, if the virus is left to spread and the pill is too hard to swallow.

"Let me be honest, Umno has derailed and is rejected by the Malays themselves,” Mas Ermieyati said.

She said the current leadership refused to accept the fact that the people have rejected Umno, believing instead that the Malay nationalist party was merely a victim of public hatred towards former prime minister and ex-Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

"The 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Berhad) scandal has allowed Malaysians to make fun of Umno,” said Mas Ermieyati.

The Melaka federal lawmaker said she would be an independent MP to check and balance the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government, without having to be tied to a party.

"Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely and based on my background as a former lawyer, I hope to do the best for Malaysians to ensure that the executive is monitored by an effective Parliament,” she said.

Umno is now left with 51 MPs with the exit of Mas Ermieyati, Bukit Gantang MP Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal, and Bagan Serai MP Datuk Noor Azmi Ghazali from the party.

Mas Ermieyati did not run for office in the Umno poll yesterday that saw former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi elected as party president.