PETALING JAYA: Jeli MP Zahari Kechik, who is from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), has broken ranks to declare his support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He is the fourth Bersatu elected representative to do so in the course of less than a month.
Zahari issued a statement on Wednesday (Nov 8), stating that he is shifting his support from the Perikatan Nasional-led Opposition to the Madani government for the sake of development and progress of his Parliamentary constituency.
"I realise that the people must be prioritised and the development must be continued without any compromise in these challenging times. As an MP, I have to service the people of Jeli as best as I can,” he said.
"However, I will remain loyal and stay as a member of Bersatu. I am ready to face the risks and action from the disciplinary board to ensure the voters of Jeli do not become victims of the situation. The people of Jeli should not be left behind," Zahari added in his statement.
He said that his support for Anwar will remain until the next general election and that his shift of allegiance was not made under any duress or pressure from anyone.
On Tuesday (Nov 7), Gua Musang MP Mohd Azizi Abu Naim was the third MP from Bersatu to declare his support for the unity government led by Anwar.
The Perikatan leader from Kelantan said his decision came after studying and listening to Anwar's Budget 2024 presentation which was aimed at facilitating economic recovery and alleviating financial burdens for the people.
On Oct 12, Kuala Kangsar MP Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid had also declared their support for Anwar, saying he did so in order to gain an extra allocation for his constituency.
Soon after, Labuan MP Datuk Dr Suhaili Abdul Rahman, followed suit.
Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin later announced that Suhaili and Iskandar Dzulkarnain had been suspended from the party for four and six years respectively by the party's disciplinary board.
