More former PKR leaders join Umno

Latest: More ex-PKR men join Umno

Seven former PKR Youth leaders have followed Mohamed Ezam Mohd Nor in joining Umno. They are former PKR Youth executive council members Azwan Din Hamzah and Abdul Ghani Haron; Annuar Shaari, former PKR Youth chief for Permatang Pauh and private secretary to party de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim; SD Johari Mohd Yasin, former Selangor PKR Youth chief; Mohd Nazmi Rosli, former Selangor PKR Youth secretary; Ahmad Daud Che Ghani, former PKR Perlis Youth chief; and Khairul Annuar Ramli; former PKR Kedah Youth chief.

Thursday May 29, 2008 MYT 4:02:08 PM

Two former PKR leaders join Umno

By ROYCE CHEAH

KUALA LUMPUR: Two former Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) leaders, Anuar Shaari and Khairul Anuar, have applied to join Umno stating that they had suffered a loss of faith in PKR's leadership.

Anuar, the former PKR Permatang Pauh division chief, quit the party on March 25, 2007. Khairul is a former PKR Youth exco member in the term ending 2007. Anuar was also the private secretary to former Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, from 1996 to 1998.

Handing over their application forms and RM100 for lifetime membership fees to Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Thursday, they both said they believe that more current and former members of PKR would start joining Umno soon.

Najib said as a matter of procedure, Anuar's application had to be submitted to the Supreme Council for approval as Anuar was formerly an Umno member while Khairul's application would be processed immediately as he had never been an Umno member.

"It is also a coincidence that their applications are being handed over a day after former PKR Youth chief Ezam Mohd Noor handed his over," Najib said, adding that he and Anuar had already met a while back.

Both Anuar and Khairul were also Gerak board members, an anti-corruption movement set up by Ezam.

Also present at the press conference was Datuk K.S. Nallakarupan who is the Malaysian Indian United Party president.

When asked again whether there was a plan to join right after Ezam, Anuar said it was pure coincidence and that he in fact supported Ezam's move, adding that he had not informed PKR about his intention to join Umno.

Anuar also tried to distance himself from PKR when asked why he joined Umno, stating that he has had no links with PKR since leaving last year.

He added that he would work hard as an ordinary member to improve the party and the country and refuted any rumours of being offered anything to join Umno.

"I join with sincerity and hope that if anyone else wants to join, they will do so voluntarily."