KANGAR: Umno veteran Tan Sri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad has joined Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) yesterday.
This is following a statement made by Bersatu High Council member Wan Saiful Wan Jan on his Facebook page yesterday evening.
According to the statement, Wan Saiful was having a meeting with the former Home Affairs minister to discuss the latter’s political journey. The meeting was also joined by Bersatu secretary-general Senator Datuk Marzuki Yahya.
“Alhamdulillah (praise to God). Just now (yesterday) I was with Senator Datuk Marzuki Yahya, the secretary-general of Bersatu, to hand over a lifetime membership card to Tan Sri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad.
“He’s a Perlis veteran. He was the Kangar MP, Home Affairs minister, Kangar Umno Branch head, and also Umno and Barisan Nasional secretary-general,” said Wan Saiful.
Radzi, who’s the son of former Perlis Menteri Besar, the late Tan Sri Sheikh Ahmad Mohd Hashim, was active in politics when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was the fourth Prime Minister.
The former Kangar MP also held several Cabinet posts, namely deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, deputy Home Affairs minister and finally as Home Affairs minister in 2004.
The trouble-ridden Umno has received a massive blow lately after five members of parliament and nine state assemblymen from Sabah announced their departure from the party.
The MPs are Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun (Beaufort), Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri (Kudat), Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee (Beluran), Datuk Zakaria Idris (Libaran) and Yamani Hafez Musa (Sipitang).
The assemblymen are Datuk Musbah Jamli (Tempasuk), Datuk Japlin Akin (Usukan), Datuk Hajiji Mohd Noor (Sulaman), Datuk Ghulam Haidar Khan Bahadar (Kawang), Datuk Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif (Membakut), Datuk Isnin Aliasnih (Klias), Datuk Matbali Musbah (Lumadan), Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun (Karanaan) and Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan (Apas).
Yesterday, former Puteri Umno chief Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin handed over her Bersatu membership form to Bersatu chairman Tun Mahathir.