JELI: Eight of the 18 Bersatu branches in Jeli were dissolved after nearly 1,000 of their members decided to leave the party today.
The eight branches include Lawang, Asahan, Batu Gajah, Kuala Balah and Nibong. All are considered dissolved, having not enough members to constitute a branch.
The members chose to leave the party and expressed their support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during a small ceremony held at Bukit Bunga here.
Former Kedai Kuala Balah Bersatu deputy chief Rodzi Muhammad, the spokesman for the group, said that a lack of confidence in Bersatu's leaders, especially during the nomination day in Nenggiri recently, prompted them to leave Bersatu.
He said their decision had not been influenced by anyone.
"We have 18 Bersatu branches and women's divisions in Jeli. With this decision, there are only 10 branches and divisions left for Bersatu in Jeli.
"We have to take this drastic action as we found that Bersatu is no more a dominant party and it has been used by Pas in the recent selection for the Nenggiri by-election," he told reporters.
Rodzi said Bersatu was seen as a weak party as it could not make its own decision for the Nenggiri candidate.
The candidate, Mohd Rizwadi Ismail, was a Pas member who only joined Bersatu two days before his candidacy was announced.
Rodzi said they have yet to decide which party they would join but all would give their support to Anwar's administration.
Former Jeli Bersatu Women's wing assistant secretary Herdawati Morshidi said the wing has about 2,000 members in Jeli.
"Today, some 500 of them chose to leave Bersatu and l was informed that the rest will do so in stages.
"We are more confident with prime minister's credibility compared to Bersatu's leaders," she added.
It is learnt that the eight branches include Lawang, Asahan, Batu Gajah, Kuala Balah and Nibong.