UMNO Secretary-General and Director of the Unity Government Secretariat, Datuk Asyraf, emphasized that UMNO will never accept or allow any of its members to defect to other parties within the unity government coalition.
“This culture of absorbing members or leaders from other friendly parties will only spark controversy and conflicts, which may eventually destabilize the political alliance.”
He made a statement on Facebook on Sunday, stating that past painful experiences from similar betrayals, defections, and poaching incidents have caused political alliances to collapse or governments to fall, serving as a sufficient lesson.
Asyraf was responding to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar's earlier confirmation of discussions regarding Tengku Zafrul, the Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, joining the People's Justice Party.
Currently, Tengku Zafrul's moves remain unclear, but the matter has already attracted attention within UMNO. However, Tengku Zafrul has responded stating that he will personally address the situation soon.