KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 — Tebrau voters should send a clear message to their MP, Steven Choong, who abandoned Pakatan Harapan for the ruling Perikatan Nasional today, said Johor Wanita PKR chief Napsiah Khamis today.
In an immediate response to confirmation that Choong and Julau MP Larry Sng have both left PKR to support Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Napsiah said the defections were an act of treachery towards her party and voters.
Napsiah reminded Choong that he was elected on a PKR ticket by voters who wished to see the party lead the constituency.
“The betrayal is a most abhorrent act; it taints the value of loyalty and causes harm that is both tangible and intangible.
“I urge all voters to use the coming general election to ensure that such false leaders are defeated,” she said in a statement.
Earlier, Muhyiddin confirmed that both Choong and Sng have submitted their sworn declarations of support for his ruling PN coalition.
As recently as Friday, Choong had maintained that he was not defecting to PN.
Instead, he claimed the allegations to be unfounded and based on coincidental pictures of him meeting with PN ministers on constituent business.
Yesterday, Sng resigned as Sarawak PKR chairman without making clear if he was also leaving the party.
Today’s defection will provide some respite to PN that appeared to become a minority government in January when three Umno federal lawmakers withdrew their support for Muhyiddin.
Malaysia is under a state of Emergency until August 1. During this time, all state and federal elections are suspended.
