Asyraf said Umno has yet to receive Tengku Zafrul’s letter of resignation, and said the party viewed his intention to join PKR seriously.

“It is very inappropriate for any party in the unity government to accept members from other allied parties arbitrarily,” said Asyraf in a statement this evening.

“This is to prevent causing disharmony among the parties in the unity government, which could lead to continuous prejudice and suspicion among grassroots members about the level of loyalty, sincerity, and honesty shared among us,” he said.

Tengku Zafrul announced this evening that he had resigned as an Umno member and would be applying to join PKR, citing “compatibility and suitability”.

He was previously an Umno Supreme Council member and head of the Kota Raja Umno division.

Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh said Tengku Zafrul’s departure was “great news” for Umno, and cynically challenged PKR to accept the senator as a member to prove its “loyalty” in its friendship with Umno.

He also challenged Tengku Zafrul to resign from his Cabinet post as minister of investment, trade and industry.