Assemblyman Nasarudin denies he defected for post

Assemblyman Nasarudin denies he defected for post

IPOH (Jan 28, 2009):

Bota assemblyman Datuk Nasarudin Hashi today said he joined Perak's Pakatan Rakyat government on his own free will, denying news reports that there was political pressure or an offer of posts for his defection from Umno.

Nasarudin, who had gone into hiding after announcing that he was joining Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) at a press conference with PKR defacto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday, today met with Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin and answered some questions from the press.

Looking cheerful and accompanied by state PKR leaders, Nasarudin, who is the first Umno assemblyman to defect to the opposition, said his constituents will support his move to switch from Umno to PKR, and that he will explain to them the rationale for his political move.

He claimed he did not believe in the struggle in Umno anymore and believes that Pakatan Rakyat can be more effective in serving the needs of his constituents.

Nasarudin said he had submitted his application letter to join PKR on Sunday itself when he announced his defection to PKR in Kuala Lumpur and he also submitted his resignation letter from Umno to the party the next day.

Mohammad Nizar said: "We do not force them (Umno members) to join us as they do it on their own free will. It is undemocratic to pressure such defections and we shall respect their wishes if they want to defect unconditionally to join PKR. We did not promise nor offer any posts to them to join us."

A Malay Daily had reported that Nasarudin was offered an exco post to join PR and state Umno liaison chief Datuk Seri Mohd Tajol Rosli Ghazal’si reportedly said PR state government is recruiting Nasarudin to fill in the shoes of state exco members Mohd Osman Mohd Jaitu and Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi who are facing alleged corruption charges.

Nasarudin's announcement on Sunday had sent shock waves in Umno, and in an immediate reaction to stem further cross-overs, Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak met all BN Perak representatives in Kuala Lumpur on Monday during which they reaffirmed their commitment to Umno.

It was reported today that Lintang assemblyman Datuk Ahmad Pakeh Adam and Pengkalan Baharu's Datuk Hamdi Abu Bakar had expressed their frustration with Mohd Tajol, and were mulling their options if the situation in Umno did not change.

Nasarudin did not go into details on the problems in Umno yesterday. There was a closed-door meeting between Nijar and Nasarudin and PKR leaders after the 10-minute media conference ended.

Attempts by the Sun to contact Nasarudin on his mobile phone later failed as he had switched it off.

According to Perak’s new PKR state chairman Osman Abdul Rahman, Nasarudin had switched off his handphone as the political pressure from Umno was great.

Nasarudin was the former Parit MP and had won the Bota state seat last year by defeating PKR's Usaili Alias by a 2,068-vote majority.

Nasarudin, 58, who joined Umno in the 1970s was also a former Felcra Bhd chairman.
Pakatan Rakyat has now 32 assemblymen in Perak with Barisan Nasional having 27.

Lagi Adun Perak pasang niat keluar BN

Lagi Adun Perak pasang niat keluar BN
Muda Mohd Noor Jan 28, 09 12:39pm

Selepas kejutan yang dibuat Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Bota, kini wakil rakyat Lintang pula Datuk Ahmad Fakeh Adam sedang menimbang untuk meninggalkan Umno "beberapa hari lagi".

"Ketika ini 50-50. (Niat) nak kekal (dalam Umno) dengan masuk pembangkang sama banyak."

Orang PAS, PKR dan DAP hari-hari telefon dan hantar SMS.

Yang dah datang jumpa pun ada, yang nak jumpa pun ada lagi," katanya kepada Malaysiakini hari ini.

Beliau bagaimanapun belum memutuskan parti pembangkang yang bakal disertainya jika meninggalkan BN.

Beliau menambah, ada pemimpin DAP ingin menawarkan jawatan menteri besar Perak tetapi "saya tahu itu gula-gula sahaja."

"(Tetapi) hati rasa hendak keluar (Umno). Kita (Adun) telah dipinggirkan.

"Kami seolah-olah tidak penting.

Yang lebih penting sekarang ialah ketua Umno bahagian," katanya.

Ahmad Fakeh yang kalah bertanding jawatan ketua Umno bahagian Sungai Siput, Oktober lalu, berkata, ada beberapa Adun lagi yang tidak puas hati dengan keadaan yang berlaku sekarang.

Beliau kalah kepada timbalannya Datuk Mohd Zulkifli Harun dalam pertandingan satu lawan satu jawatan tersebut.

Datuk Seri Raja Ahmad Zainuddin Raja Omar (Adun Kubu Gajah), Datuk Hamdi Abu Bakar (Pengkalan Baharu) dan Hamidah Osman (Sungai Rapat) diura-urakan turut kecewa.

Ahmad Fakeh bagaimanapun tidak pasti sama ada mereka juga berhasrat untuk meninggalkan Umno dan menyertai parti pembangkang.

"Saya sudah membawa perkara ini dalam mesyuarat Umno Perak tetapi tiada tindakan yang diambil.

"Tetapi bila (Datuk) Nasharuddin Hashim (Adun Bota) keluar parti, baru kelam-kabut, baru kami ini penting," katanya.

Nasharuddin mengumumkan menyertai PKR hujung minggu lalu, menjelang sambutan Tahun Baru Cina.

Ahmad Fakeh berkata, beliau kecewa kerana kerajaan pusat lambat memberi peruntukan kewangan walaupun wang sudah ada.

Sebaliknya, kata beliau, peringkat persekutuan begitu cepat meluluskan bantuan kepada ketua Umno bahagian.

Sebagai contoh, katanya, Kementerian Kemajuan Luar Bandar dan Wilayah mudah memberikan bantuan kepada ketua bahagian walaupun mereka bukan wakil rakyat.

“Ini menjadi masalah kepada Adun yang tidak memegang jawatan ketua bahagian,” katanya lagi.

Bantuan tetap kerajaan pusat kepada setiap Adun ialah RM300,000 setahun, tidak termasuk peruntukan tambahan yang perlu dimohon, tambahnya.

Katanya lagi, seseorang Adun sukar membantu penduduk di kawasan yang diwakilinya tanpa wang peruntukan tersebut.

Umno man joins PKR in Perak

(The Star) - Bota assemblyman Datuk Nasarudin Hashim is quitting Umno to join PKR, bringing the total number of state seats held by the Pakatan Rakyat alliance here to 32, versus Barisan Nasional’s 27.

Nasarudin, 58, said his decision was based on the people’s growing support for Pakatan, and the current situation within Umno and with its leaders.

Speaking at a press conference with PKR advisor and de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday, the former Parit MP said he was joining PKR with immediate effect but would submit his resignation letter to Umno later.

Saying that he was doing this in the interest of the people, especially his supporters and voters, he added that he was confident in PKR’s commitment to protecting the rights and interests of all races.

“I am confident PKR will continue to uphold and respect the Constitution with regards to the position of Bahasa Melayu (sic) as the official national language, the position of the Rulers and Islam as the federal religion,” he said.

He added that by joining PKR, he would be able to more effectively represent the interest of his constituency since Pakatan Rakyat is the state government in Perak.

Nasarudin is former Felcra Berhad chairman and was an administrative and diplomatic officer in Wisma Putra, and also served at the Information Ministry. He joined Umno in the 1970s and had held the post of branch head since 1985.

Calling him an important leader in Perak, Anwar said Nasarudin’s decision was critical as it reflected the sentiment of the voters, especially his Malay constituents.

“He is responding to that demand. We welcome him and I see it as a beginning of a new wave,” said Anwar.
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PKR strikes first in Perak, not Umno — The Malaysian Insider

“This is Pak Lah’s legacy but the sad thing is it shows some don’t trust Najib to solve the party’s problems,” an Umno warlord told The Malaysian Insider today.

THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER For months, Umno politicians have been working hard behind the scenes to bring down the Pakatan Rakyat government in Perak, even bandying about the last Merdeka celebrations as their deadline to regain the state government.

But on the eve of the year of the Ox and just months from Datuk Seri Najib Razak taking over Umno, the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) led by opposition icon Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has struck the first blow against the dominant Malay party still reeling from its dismal performance in the March 8 general elections and the last two by-elections.

Bota state assemblyman Datuk Nasarudin Hashim, Anwar’s campus mate in University Malaya, crossed over today and is seen as the herald for more defections from Umno lawmakers disgruntled with the party’s national leadership. His decision was not entirely a surprise as there has been speculation since last month that he would jump ship if he lost the Umno division elections.

The former Parit MP did lose by 19 votes in his bid to unseat the Umno Parit division chief Datuk Mohamed Zaim Abu Hasan, who is also Belanja state assemblyman within the Parit parliamentary constituency. He had earlier lost the Felcra chairmanship when he was moved to the Bota state seat in the 2008 general elections.

Nasarudin’s defection strengthens the Pakatan Rakyat majority to four in the 59-seat state assembly and while it does not change the equation at the federal or state level, it remains a body blow to Umno and Barisan Nasional.

The move by the former Perak Tengah district officer is seen as an indictment against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s weak leadership and distrust for successor Najib.
“This is Pak Lah’s legacy but the sad thing is it shows some don’t trust Najib to solve the party’s problems,” an Umno warlord told The Malaysian Insider today.

Critics say Umno is in denial about its image as a racist and corrupt party riven with factional interests. Former party president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who has been campaigning against his successor Abdullah, has said the party is corrupt and will lose power unless it reforms itself.

Najib, who has already won the party presidency, has been cautious and coy about his reform plans for the party but has said the party needs to change and remain relevant to the citizens’ aspirations.

But politicking within the party in the wake of Abdullah’s hastened departure has left many leaders by the wayside flirting with the idea of joining Anwar, who was sacked from the party 11 years ago. “For most of them, Anwar shows better leadership,” an Umno veteran said.

That perception adds further to Najib’s burden to get Umno to restructure its party, policies and retain talent and leaders, let alone regain the people’s trust after a string of electoral defeats and rising allegations of corruption in the party’s elections.

Nasarudin’s resignation today could be the start of a slow train wreck for Najib.

Or a quick one.
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2008 Election

PERAK: N39 - Bota
Voters: 14,389
Racial Breakdown
Malay: 98.80%, Chinese: 0.30%, Indian: 0.30%, Others: 0.70%

UMNO Datuk Nasarudin Hashim 6556

PKR Usaili Alias 4488

Majority 2,068

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Adun Bota keluar Umno, sertai KeADILan


Azamin Amin Sun Jan 25, 09 5:19:15 pm MYT
KUALA LUMPUR, 25 Jan (Hrkh) - Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Bota, Dato' Nasarudin Hashim mengisyhtiharkan keluar Umno sekaligus menyertai KeADILan hari ini.

Beliau berkata demikian melalui satu kenyataan media yang dihantar Biro Penerangan KeADILan kepada Harakahdaily sebentar tadi.
Ini secara langsung meberi tamparan hebat kepada Umno-Barisan Nasional khususnya di Perak apabila hanya mempunyai 27 kerusi berbanding Pkatan Rakyat yang menambahkan satu kerusi menjadikannya kini sejumlah 32 kerusi.

Berikut adalah teks kenyataan media Nasarudin :-

Assalamualaikum,
Setelah membuat pertimbangan terutamanya apabila melihat perkembangan suasana politik khasnya arah tuju sokongan rakyat selepas Pilihanraya Umum ke 12 pada bulan Mac 2008, serta keadaan-keadaan yang wujud dalam parti dan kepimpinan Umno, saya dengan ini mengambil keputusan untuk keluar dari Umno dan seterusnya menyertai PKR iaitu salah satu parti dalam Pakatan Rakyat.

Keputusan ini diambil setelah lama meneliti dan mempertimbangkan kepentingan rakyat seluruhnya khususnya buat para penyokong dan pengundi saya di kawasan Dewan Undangan Negeri Bota:-
Saya amat yakin dengan kepimpinan Parti Keadilan Rakyat yang mempunyai iltizam dan idealisme yang kuat untuk memperjuangkan hak-hak dan kepentingan rakyat yang terdiri dari pelbagai kaum di negara ini.

Saya yakin Parti Keadilan Rakyat akan tetap menjunjung dan menghormati hak-hak yang termaktub dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan khususnya dalam kedudukan Bahasa Melayu sebagai bahasa rasmi kebangsaan, kedaulatan Raja-Raja Melayu dan kedudukan Islam sebagai agama Persekutuan.

Saya percaya Parti Keadilan Rakyat dan rakan-rakan dalam Pakatan Rakyat mampu untuk menjadi sebuah permuafakatan komponen parti-parti yang lebih baik demi kepentingan rakyat seluruhnya.

Untuk membolehkan saya menjadi ADUN yang lebih berkesan dan memberi khidmat terbaik kepada penduduk setempat memandangkan Pakatan Rakyat sudah pun menubuhkan kerajaan di Negeri Perak.- azm _

Ex-Kuala Penyu YB joins PKR

Ex-Kuala Penyu YB joins PKR

Kota Belud: Former Kuala Penyu Assemblyman Datuk John Ghani - whose numerous applications to re-join Umno have been rejected despite being instrumental in bringing Umno to Sabah - announced he is joining Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

He was welcomed by PKR Sabah liaison chief, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during a party orientation gathering at the Airport View Hotel here Friday.

John, however, said he made the decision to join PKR not because he was dejected that his applications to re-join Umno were rejected.

He felt it was his responsibility to continue with his struggle for the people, especially in the constituency that he won in 2004 as an Independent candidate.

John said he would be submitting his membership application soon and that he was not offered any positions to join PKR but was attracted to its struggle under Anwar's leadership. He assured that he would commit himself to the struggle of PKR and he would never back out should he get an offer to re-join Umno.

Meanwhile, Anwar welcomed John's arrival and believed many more like him would be following his footsteps soon.