KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 — Umno Supreme Council member (MT) Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz stressed that he has not yet made any decision regarding the rumours of him joining Parti Keadilan Rakyat.
Tengku Zafrul, who is also the Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, explained that he adheres to the principle that when making a decision, he will do so with full courtesy and officially inform his party leadership.
“Actually, I have not made a decision regarding membership in any party, although as the Prime Minister mentioned, there have been discussions on this matter with relevant parties.
“Therefore, I am very surprised by the development of the leadership’s statement on this matter. Furthermore, since this issue was first raised, I have not received any calls from the Umno leadership to enquire about the real issue,” he said in a post on X last night.
He explained that in carrying out his responsibilities and commitments as a member of the government administration, his political struggle is focused on the need to carry out his duties well for the benefit of the people.
Commenting on the initial discussions with Keadilan, he said there was no discussion regarding the offer of positions at the state level or the possibility of a by-election, but rather focused on choosing a suitable platform for political struggle for the development of the people and the country.
"I also believe that the individual's right to choose the path of struggle is a fundamental and absolute right because without compatibility it is impossible for an individual to provide the best service.
"In fact, I left the corporate world to become a member of the government administration because I am confident that it is a career path that can provide space and opportunities for me to serve the people and also contribute to the national development agenda directly," he said.
Tengku Zafrul said that as a member of the government, he will continue to implement the best policies for the people, in fact, the Unity Government that has been built so far has a strong spirit of cooperation and high tolerance.
"The Unity Government is able to accept differences of views and opinions among the component parties, without disrupting the main objective of steering the country towards the best well-being for the people," he said.
Tengku Zafrul had previously announced that he would clarify regarding the rumours of his joining Keadilan and the speculation to replace Keadilan vice-president Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari as the Selangor Menteri Besar.
Yesterday, Keadilan president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim confirmed that there were initial discussions regarding Tengku Zafrul's participation in the party, which is open to accepting any individual who can contribute to the party.
— Bernama
