KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 19 ― Former Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli has cautioned Pakatan Harapan (PH) today against taking in defectors from rival party Umno.

In an open letter to the PH leadership, Rafizi said the "cloak-and-dagger” manoeuvres and backroom deals are eroding public confidence and angering PH supporters.

"In that same context, I wish to caution the PH leadership that the public is disgusted with the recent wave of Umno MPs switching sides,” he wrote.

"To swing voters, it is yet another evidence that the PH administration is more focused on internal power dynamics, rather than focusing on delivering on our election promises. We also dilute our reform credentials in the eyes of PH’s hardcore supporters.

"To those who argue that the orchestrated mass migration of Umno MPs is necessary to strengthen PH’s grip on Malay voters, there is no indication this is happening. In fact, it provokes angrier sentiment against PH among the Umno-PAS supporters,’’ he added.

Rafizi then urged PH leaders re-focus their efforts on delivering economic reforms or risk alienating the very people who have voted them into power.

"From the first post-GE14 survey until this month’s poll, reducing higher cost of living and fulfilling election promises top the key concern of the voters across the board.

"We need to demonstrate seriousness in making life better for the ordinary Malaysians, not to be dragged by endless cloak-and-dagger political manoeuvres of the old Malaysia,’’ he said.

"Instead of winning them over with economic narratives and delivery, we are pushing them further away (much in the same way the engineered defection that toppled the Perak government did not endear the PH supporters to BN then),’’ he added, referring to the 2009 Perak constitutional crisis.

The cautionary open letter came on the back of the former PKR vice-president’s meeting with fellow PKR MP Nurul Izzah Anwar and rival politician, Umno’s Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin yesterday.

Nurul Izzah had previously quit her party posts, purportedly in protest of the migration of Umno MPs into PH.

Rafizi has since denied that he, Nurul Izzah, and Khairy were conspiring to leave their parties or to form a new party.