KOTA BARU: More Umno members will be leaving the party to join PAS, claims former Ketereh MP Tan Sri Annuar Musa.
"I will not give the exact number... There are so many who have and are planning to leave Umno.
"We won't play Umno's game by relying on numbers alone," he told a press conference at his residence in Ketereh near here on Friday (Aug 4).
The former Umno secretary-general was sacked from the party last year and joined PAS in March.
Annuar, who is also former communications and multimedia minister, also shared a list of some 20 names, whom he claimed were Kertereh Umno leaders who had left the party.
Annuar also claimed Umno's Cabang Tiga Haji Musa branch under the Ketereh division had been dissolved.
"Since everyone in the branch has resigned, the committee is now dissolved," he said.
Also present at the event were former Ipoh mayor Datuk Sirajuddin Salleh, former natural resources ministry secretary-general Mohd Ibrahim Abu Bakar, former Bagan Datuk Umno Youth chief Nik Mohammad Azli Nik Ariffin and former Tambun Umno Youth chief Farizwan Azlan.
They did not speak to the media but Annuar announced that they had left Umno.
Annuar also said several Umno grassroots leaders from branch and division levels in Kelantan – including his son Afiq Amani Annuar who is also Ketereh Umno Youth chief – have pledged their support for Perikatan-PAS.
Other names mentioned were Ketereh Umno permanent chairman Kamaruddin Said and Ketereh Wanita Umno chief Sabariah Hamzah.
Afiq Amani later dismissed claims he was forced to leave Umno because of his father.
"I am an adult and I make my own decisions. I am leaving Umno because I feel that the party has strayed from its path.
"I am not joining PAS or Perikatan but I will support their candidates in Ketereh. I am planning to take a break from politics," he added.
