PETALING JAYA, Aug 17: A former PPBM leader believes even more members will desert the party following Umno’s growing dominance, including the recent public reprimand of the party.
Tariq Ismail, a former PPBM supreme council member, claimed many were dismayed with the current dynamics between the party and that of Umno.
“I believe many PPBM members have seen that the party has been influenced and run by those formerly of Umno,” he told FMT.
Earlier, PPBM president Muhyiddin Yassin had announced the party’s intention to join Muafakat Nasional, the alliance between PAS and Umno.
Tariq said he felt vindicated in his earlier fears of a hostile takeover of PPBM by Umno when the party left Pakatan Harapan in February. It precipitated the collapse of the PH government and the subsequent formation of the Perikatan Nasional with Umno and PAS.
It also led to PPBM co-founder Dr Mahathir Mohamad being ousted and announcing a new party, which has since led to some members exiting the party and divisions being dissolved.
“Prior to our walkout (from PH), we warned this would happen and we were brushed off with retorts of fake news and were ridiculed,” Tariq said.
While there were those who remained with PPBM to help the party in the power tussle with Ummo, Tariq was sceptical, especially in view of what he described as the shortsightedness of leadership. The party, he said, would eventually be “eaten up by Umno”.
“This especially when it comes to seat allocation as many seats won by PPBM are traditionally contested by Umno.” He noted that Umno has over three million members, while PAS has over a million. “PPBM is a dwarf compared to these giants.”
PPBM and Umno are also locked in a tussle for seats in Sabah, where state elections are due.
