Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today revealed that several Pakatan Rakyat state representatives from Perak could soon join the Barisan Nasional.
"God willing, it will happen," he was quoted as saying by Bernama. He said this when asked to comment on talks that two missing Perak Pakatan state excos are defecting to BN.
Abdullah, also the BN chairperson, had earlier launched the Federal Territory Day Festival at the Titiwangsa Lake in Kuala Lumpur.He refused to state the identity or the number of Pakatan representatives that are planning to defect.
He however added that elected representatives would want to join Umno because they had confidence in its struggle.
"(We will) accept them as it is their choice and they want to join us in the struggle... it will be a new experience for them and allow them the opportunities to serve through the BN," said Abdullah.
"We will make the official announcement when all things are in place," he added.
The premier also said that there was a possibility of Pakatan state representatives from other states joining the BN.
"If we want to increase party membership, we should open the party to those who want to join. We should not say that we don't want certain people to join the party... We will accept them into Umno," he said.
Talks are rife that two Perak excos - Behrang assemblyperson Jamaluddin Mat Radzi and Changkat Jering state representative Osman Jailu - will be defecting to the BN.
The two have been missing for the past five days, totally out of contact with their family members and the state officials.
Nizar: Three from Umno to join us
Earlier today, Menteri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin confirmed that the two PKR state representatives have been missing.
He also urged them to come out and state publicly if they were going to join the BN.
"BN is hiding them somewhere. This is their work to derail the Pakatan state government here," he told reporters after a meeting with state leaders this morning.However he added the state government would not be jeopardised even if there was a crossover involving the two.
"Only God knows if there is going to be a crossover involving the two. I have not heard anything.
"If they want to leave the government, they must write and inform officially," he said.
He also stressed that no other Pakatan state representative will be jumping ship. Instead he said that a minimum of three Umno state representatives will be joining Pakatan soon.
"We are in negotiations with them now and they will join us," he said.Last Sunday, Umno's Bota assemblyperson Nasarudin Hashim switched sides to PKR, prompting an intense tit-for-tat fight between the BN and Pakatan to bolster their camp with defectors.
Pakatan currently holds 32 state seats against BN's 27 in the 59-seat state assembly - malaysiakini.com
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