Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh said PKR president Anwar Ibrahim’s comment that the four should not be viewed in the same way as the defectors behind the Sheraton Move last year must be addressed.
Anwar had recently defended the assemblymen, saying they were not like those who toppled the PH government in the Sheraton Move.
He said those involved in the Sheraton Move had betrayed the people’s mandate given to PH, while the Melaka four did it to return the mandate to the opposition coalition.
He also said the PH central leadership was in the final stages of deciding whether to accept three of the four – former Melaka chief minister Idris Haron, Noor Effandi Ahmad and Nor Azman Hassan – into the fold.
The coalition had previously shut the door on former DAP man Norhizam Hassan Baktee, the Pengkalan Batu incumbent, who had also retracted his support for the previous Barisan Nasional-led state administration.
In a statement today, Ramkarpal said: “It must be noted that the four have not publicly expressed their reason for becoming independents as wanting to return the mandate of the people to PH.
“In fact, two of the four were from Umno and were never part of PH. As such, the question of them returning the mandate to PH by becoming independents does not arise.”
According to Ramkarpal, it was wrong to say the remaining two who were not from Umno were not complicit in the Sheraton move, arguing that they would have remained in PH after the collapse of the government if it was so.
He also said even if the four now state that they had wanted to become independents to return the mandate of the people to PH, this would be an afterthought.
“There has been no indication from them publicly before that this was the case.”
Ramkarpal also argued that PH cannot accept the four while pushing for anti-hopping laws as stated in its memorandum of understanding with the government.
“This would be incongruous,” he said.
“Accepting them would be a grave mistake by PH which may result in the wrath of voters in the coming Melaka state election as well as GE15, which it must avoid.”