TV PAKATAN RAKYAT

Suspended Petaling Jaya Selatan Umno chief, Datuk Zahar Hashim today joined the Islamist party, Pas with a promise that more leaders from the division situated in the Chinese dominated constituency would leave Umno. His membership application form was handed over to Pas deputy president Nasharuddin Isa at a ceremony here.

The defence contractor, who wrote an open letter in October alleging discrepancies in the purchase of Eurocopter helicopters was suspended from the party on Dec 4 for criticising Umno’s leadership. Zahar had also written a letter in August claiming that Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi and his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Razak had violated the party’s rules by campaigning for the party polls.

At a press conference later Zahar denied that his decision to join Pas was motivated by the Eurocopter deal. “I am not disappointed. I think the majority or almost half of the voters no longer supports BN,” said Zahar. He added that he was not betraying Umno by joining Pas adding that he was already financially stable when he joined the Malay nationalist party in 1981, saying that it was Umno that had betrayed him. “I have more information than I can reveal but I have to check whether it will violate the Official Secrets Act,” said Zahar. Earlier in his speech, Selangor Pas chief Datuk Dr Hassan Ali, said the decision by Zahar would boost the party’s position in the state. He added that Selangor Pas would continue to invite Umno members in the state to defect to the party.