Prior to quitting the party, Afiq was the Umno Youth divisional head in Ketereh, the division that Annuar formerly headed.

Apart from Afiq, the other leaders who followed suit were the division’s permanent chairman Kamarudin Said and its Wanita chief, Sabariah Hamzah, Utusan Malaysia reported.

The trio were among the 20 who announced that they were quitting the party.

“And they have all pledged to support PAS in the state elections on Aug 12,” Annuar, who joined the Islamic party earlier this year, was quoted as saying at a press conference.

The 20 had pledged their loyalty in front of PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan and the party’s candidate for Melor, Wan Rahimi Wan Daud.

Annuar, a former Umno secretary-general, said he hoped the decision by the 20 to quit the party would help encourage voters to back PAS.

Annuar went on to say that more would be leaving Umno including leaders in the Ketereh division, but said he could not provide the exact number.

“We will also see the children, wives and friends of those who left Umno today, follow suit. There are just too many.”

In May, Kelantan Umno information chief Zawawi Othman challenged Annuar to convince his son to leave the party and join PAS, after the former minister had urged Umno members to switch sides.

Annuar’s announcement today comes days after Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that the former was “stuck in the past” for claiming there would soon be an exodus from the party.

Zahid had said this in response to reports quoting Annuar as saying many Umno members and leaders would quit the party today.