KUALA LUMPUR: Dissenting Umno assemblyman Datuk Muhammad Jailani Khamis (pic) is a PAS member, according to party secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan.
Takiyuddin said Muhammad Jailani, who is the Rembia assemblyman in the Melaka state assembly, has been a PAS member since June last year.
This increases the total number of Perikatan assemblymen in Melaka to three.
Besides Muhammad Jailani, the other Opposition representatives are Dr Mohd Yadzil Yaakub (Bemban) and Dr Mohd Aleef Yusof (Sungai Udang).
Takiyuddin, who made the announcement at a press conference in Parliament yesterday, also said Muhammad Jailani’s decision to join PAS occurred before the Melaka state assembly enacted anti-party hopping legislation in July 2023.
When asked why the announcement was made only a year after the switch, Takiyuddin said: “It’s our strategy. We make announcements at the right time and the right place.”
When asked if Muhammad Jailani had informed Umno of this decision, Takiyuddin said he was not obliged to do so.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Jailani said the decision to switch sides was “to be with the people”, claiming that this differs from the six former Bersatu MPs who pledged support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to obtain allocations.
“If the people are facing hardships, I will be with them,” he said.
Muhammad Jailani also said he had previously appealed for Umno to sack him but was handed a suspension instead. Despite this, he claimed that the suspension letter was not sent to him for three months.
This comes amid the controversy where six former Bersatu MPs kept their seats in the Dewan Rakyat despite ceasing to be Bersatu members.
Attempts to reach Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh were futile at press time.
Muhammad Jailani was first elected as Rembia assemblyman in 2018 under Pakatan Harapan’s banner and was made a state executive councillor (Exco) under the helm of the then Chief Minister Adly Zahari during Pakatan’s administration.
He then quit PKR in 2020 and continued as an independent representative before rejoining Umno in 2021 and defended his seat under the Barisan Nasional during the Melaka state election in the same year.
He was reappointed as Exco during the tenure of then Chief Melaka Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali before he was dropped by Ab Rauf who took over from Sulaiman in March last year.
