Pakatan Harapan (PH) leadership in Kedah has called for restraint following recent criticism from Kedah Umno over the possibility of Tengku Zafrul Aziz joining PKR. The appeal comes in response to remarks suggesting Barisan Nasional (BN) should reconsider its partnership with PH if Zafrul is welcomed into the coalition party.
Nor Azrina Surip, deputy chief of Kedah PH and a central leadership council member in PKR, expressed that matters of this sensitivity should be left to the discretion of the federal leadership of both coalitions. She emphasized the importance of unity at the state level and encouraged a focus on strengthening collaboration rather than fueling internal discord.
Azrina acknowledged concerns raised by Kedah Umno members but advised that the situation be handled with diplomacy. She added that party leaders in the state should remain aligned with the broader vision of cooperation under the unity government, particularly with general elections looming on the horizon.
The controversy arose after Tengku Zafrul publicly declared his resignation from Umno last Friday, expressing his intention to join PKR. His announcement sparked immediate backlash, with some voices calling for his removal from the Cabinet and others warning PKR not to accept him as a member.
Among the strongest responses came from Kedah Umno’s communications director, who likened Zafrul’s switch to previous political defections that had weakened Umno in the past. The statement suggested that bringing Zafrul into PKR would be akin to political poaching and could jeopardize the already fragile relationship between BN and PH.
Despite the tension, Azrina urged both sides to keep their focus on long-term goals and not allow individual political moves to disrupt a coalition built on cooperation and mutual interest. She reiterated that PKR values its alliances within the unity government and intends to approach all matters with respect for its partners.
While the situation continues to develop, Kedah PH’s call for calm suggests a preference for dialogue over division. As political realignments become increasingly common, the emphasis remains on ensuring that such shifts do not derail collective efforts toward governance and national stability.
FlyingBird (aicashflow7@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact creator@newswav.com.