‘I didn’t abandon ship, the ship abandoned me’: Labuan MP pans Bersatu for not consulting Perikatan MPs to join unity govt

November 13, 2023

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 — Labuan MP Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman has reportedly insisted that he is still loyal to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), despite joining three of his party mates in backing the Anwar administration.

Speaking to English daily The Star, he also chastised Perikatan Nasional (PN) for missing out on being part of the ruling government due to the decision by Bersatu leaders, which he said was made without consulting PN MPs.

“As the leadership decided our fate to be the opposition without consulting us, I decided the fate of my constituency without consulting the leadership,” he was quoted as saying.

He also said that he does not feel any guilt despite being branded a traitor by the party, and being suspended on November 7 after his statement on October 30 declaring his support for the unity government.
“Do I feel guilty? Why should I? I did not betray the party as I am still loyal to the party.

“I did not abandon ship. But the ship abandoned me when the leadership decided to throw me out, suspending me for six years. So, which is which?” he reportedly asked.

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Suhaili stressed that shifting his support will not end his political career as he said he has stronger support in Labuan now.

“Come next general election, I can contest under any logo, and God willing, I will win as I had done this for the sake of the people,” he was quoted as saying.

He said in return for his support, his constituency would be getting RM4mil in allocations annually, and there would be other funds channelled quarterly with strict guidelines on their usage.

“I am only doing the right thing. I checked with my constituents a few months before I made the announcement. I told them that when 12 months are up from my elected date and if I have yet to receive the funds, I will support the government for the sake of the allocations,” he was quoted as saying.

Suhaili also dismissed allegations that he was bribed to support Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

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“This is utter rubbish. How can it be bribery when I asked for allocations openly, in writing, on the day I declared that I would support the prime minister? “The prime minister himself told PN to talk to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof on the allocations for constituencies under opposition MPs.

“The request for allocations was made officially, and the money channelled through official agencies,” he was quoted as saying.

He also spoke of his predicament as an MP.

“I cannot keep giving excuses of having no funds because I am in the opposition. In the first year, we could tell them, ‘Don’t worry, next year, we may be in the government. Please wait.’ But after one year, do I repeat the same story?

“So I had to make up my mind and decide. Labuan is backwards, and the constituents are poor,” he was quoted as saying.

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The former Umno man also said that he would remain a PN MP till the end of his term.

However, on his seating arrangement in the Dewan Rakyat, Suhaili said that it will be still within the parameters of the opposition bench but away from the “hardcore bloc” of other PN MPs.

Suhaili also refuted allegations that he had tried to coax other Bersatu MPs to switch allegiance as well.

“I do not even know the other three well. And I was not the first to do so. I am not a broker to get Bersatu MPs to support Anwar,” he was quoted as saying.

Besides Suhaili, three other Bersatu MPs namely Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar), Mohd Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang) and Zahari Kechik (Jeli) had pledged their support to Anwar and the unity government.