SHAH ALAM : A total of 15 committee and 500 members of the Kota Raja Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) division have walked out on the party.
Spokesman Shahul Hameed Abdul Wahab said all committee and party members who quit the Kota Raja division were hardcore supporters of former party chairman, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
"Those who quit intend to join Tun M's new party and will go all out to campaign for the (yet to unnamed) party), after this.
"We joined Bersatu because of Tun M.
"Tun M was persecuted ...it is our responsibility as hardcore followers to follow Tun M's footsteps and struggle to leave the party," he said at a press conference today.
Shahul Hameed said in view of three quarters of the committee members quitting, the Kota Raja Bersatu division had thus automatically dissolved.
"As many as 15 out of the 17 committee members have walked out of the party, the party legal provisions cite that in the event three quarters of the committee members quit, than the division is automatically dissolved.
"Now the committee members who walked out number more than three quarters or 75 per cent, this means the Kota Raja division has been dissolved automatically with immediate effect."
Meanwhile, outgoing Kota Raja Bersatu Deputy Chief Syed Abdul Rahman Syed Abu Bakar said his decision to quit was taken because he lost faith in the party leadership which violated the people's mandate in the 14th General Election (GE 14) and did not respect Dr Mahathir.
"We left the party without any coercion. We also support and intend to be members of Tun M's new party," he said.
It is understood that the total number of committee members and members of Kota Raja Bersatu Division stands at more than 1,100 people.