KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 ― Amid defections that have now cost Barisan Nasional (BN) its majority in the Terengganu state assembly, two Umno representatives rumoured to join a purported exodus have come out to pledge their allegiance to the party.

Rumoured to be among those who will join former mentri besar Datuk Ahmad Said in jumping ship, Pengkalan Berangan assemblyman and Umno Marang chief A. Latiff Awang insisted he will “forever” be with his party.

“Saya Umno dulu kini dan selamanya (I will be with Umno, now and forever),” he told The Malay Mail Online in a text message this morning, using the popular rallying cry of the Malay nationalist party.

Kemasik representative Rosli Othman, also among those rumoured to defect, similarly denied he was leaving Umno.

“No, I m not about to leave my party. As those who are leaving pls ask them,” he said via text.

BN lost its third Umno assemblyman in Terengganu today, costing the coalition its majority in the 32-seat state assembly.

According to press reports, Bukit Besi assemblyman Roslee Daud left Umno this morning, following in the footsteps of Ahmad Said and Ajil assemblyman Ghazali Taib to become independent representatives.

The decision by the three to go independent leaves BN with just 14 seats in Terengganu to Pakatan Rakyat's (PR) 15.

Should the trio decide to become PR-friendly independents, the opposition pact would then hold greater sway over BN's weakened grasp over the east coast state.

The situation is reminiscent of the Perak crisis in 2009 when the defections of three PR assemblymen to become BN-friendly independents saw the former pact lose the northern state.

Ahmad’s resignation from Umno was announced after Seberang Takir assemblyman Datuk Ahmad Razif Abd Rahman was sworn in last night as the new Terengganu mentri besar.

Ahmad, who was reappointed Terengganu mentri besar for a second term on May 9 last year, was forced to step down from office mid-term, reportedly due to the BN’s weakest polls performance in a decade.

BN barely kept the state government with 17 state seats against Pakatan Rakyat’s 15 seats in Election 2013.