KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 — Controversial rally leader Mohd Ali Baharom’s application to join Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) has been rejected, The Star reported today.
The daily cited an aide to the party’s chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad saying PPBM welcomes everyone, but would-be members have to be of a certain “quality”.
“I have just received information that Ali Tinju’s application to join Bersatu has been rejected. If that’s the case, thank you.
“It has to be quality [people] even though we are open to receiving membership applications in Bersatu,” Adam Mukhriz Mohd Muhayeddin was quoted saying.
Mohd Ali, better known as Ali Tinju, is known as a rabble rouser who has repeatedly led provocative rallies that created racial tension with his racial and religious inflammatory speeches and mannerisms in the past.
In 2012, he demonstrated outside the house of Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, then co-chair of the electoral reform watchdog Bersih 2.0 and even offered the Hindu lawyer beef.
He has also rallied in support of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, countering another street demonstration calling for action against an official then identified as “MO1” in the US Department of Justice investigations on the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal when it first broke internationally.
