The exodus from Umno shows that the party is no longer able to fight for the Malay-Muslim agenda – and that PAS must shoulder the responsibility, party secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said today.
"Last time, it was Umno which fought for the Malay-Muslim agenda, as it was the government, and it also had the strength (in terms of resources and numbers).
"Now, it is no longer the government, and it is bleeding MPs and lawmakers, causing the party's very structure to collapse," he was quoted as saying by Bernama in Alor Setar last night.
Takiyuddin remark comes following MPs and elected representatives leaving Umno en masse since its ouster in the May 9 general election.
Last week, more than a dozen Sabah Umno lawmakers, including five MPs, nine assemblypersons, and two senators, quit the party, citing the lack of direction from the leadership.
They also expressed full support to the administration of Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Friday saw the exit of six more Umno MPs, with more expected to follow suit in the coming days.
No bearing
Asked whether the mass resignations would affect the strength of the opposition, Takiyuddin said the number of Umno representatives had no bearing on PAS' role and stance.
"Although we (PAS and Umno) are both opposition parties, we only have loose links in the Dewan Rakyat. No matter how many lawmakers Umno has, PAS is firm in its stance, we are neutral on issues brought by the government.
"Our role is to advise the government, reprimand where necessary, and support what is right. The number of Umno MPs in Dewan Rakyat does not pose a big problem to PAS," he was quoted as saying.
Takiyuddin, the Kota Bharu MP, further dubbed the exodus of Umno representatives as "expected," given the current political landscape.
"Members of any party facing such a situation will definitely flee, because as politicians, they need a platform for their struggles," he said, adding that PAS also welcomes any Umno lawmakers who want to join the Islamist party.
This echoes the call made by PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man yesterday.
With 54 MPs, Umno initially had the largest number of parliamentary representatives despite losing power in the 14th general election.
It is now left with 38 MPs, and is relegated to being the third-largest party behind PKR and DAP.
