SHAH ALAM: The Umno disciplinary board has yet to receive any report on Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz's discussion with PKR on the possibility of him joining the party.
Its secretariat told the New Straits Times that an offence would only be considered "committed" if an Umno member has "made a concrete move" to abandon the party for another.
"A report must be lodged on the matter for the board to begin investigation and eventually make a ruling."
in Shah Alam, PKR vice-president Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said he believes it is better for Zafrul, an Umno Supreme Council member, to join his party than to jump to the opposition.
He said the issue needed to be seen from a bigger perspective, that of the unity government, though he understood the sentiments involved.
This comes as Umno leaders state their uneasiness at the possibility of politicians jumping parties, even if it was among those in the unity government.
Amirudin, however, suggested a discussion-based approach among the unity government components.
"Yes, we should discuss, which is better than he jumping to PN (Perikatan Nasional) or staying in the unity government.
"This should be seen in a 'big framework' manner, and we should not let outside pressures sway us.
"Everyone is stealing, taking (members from other parties).
"Everyone has their own dignity, I understand (but) there is a 'big framework' that sometimes people forget, and when forgotten, all sorts of things happen.
"That is what caused the fall of the 18-month (Pakatan Harapan) government, because they lost sight of the 'big framework'."
He said this after the launch of the Selangor government's Ihsan Madani Squad to Kelantan to help in post-flood clean-up work.
The media had reported that Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, when responding to rumours that Zafrul was thinking of joining PKR, had warned that parties in the unity government should avoid pinching members of other components. - Additional reporting by Norzamira Che Noh