You are welcome to leave party, Dr M tells detractors

Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad said that those who wish to leave the party were welcome to do so.

"It is because we don't want people who (join Bersatu) because they have some personal axe to grind, or that they want to have positions," said Mahathir during a press conference at the party's headquarters today.

He added that becoming a division leader in Bersatu does not automatically qualify the person as a candidate during the general election.

"We will only field winnable candidates and they can be from the (Pakatan Harapan) coalition or Bersatu," said Mahathir.

His remarks came after Kamarul Azman Habibur Rahman, one of the founding members of Bersatu, announced his decision to quit the party.

Kamarul Azman had claimed that the party had diverted from its original fight and practices cronyism and caste system. This was however denied by the party's secretary-general Shahruddin Md Salleh.

Mahathir, earlier, admitted that there were some problems in relation to the party's housekeeping rules but said that the problems were "slowly being resolved".

"There will be, of course, a number of people who will not be very happy. But if we accept their solution, other people will be unhappy, also.

"So we are going to stay with our decision," he said.

Mahathir later said that the party was ironing out issues with regard to the appointment of leaders in the party.

"The youth wing has completed all appointments while the women's wing have a few problems only. In terms of organisation, Bersatu is fully organised," he said.

On another matter, Mahathir denied that the party's divisional leadership positions were being sold.

"The issue does not arise at all. Although we would just accept the money if there are those who want to do so," he said.

In his usual cheeky manner, Mahathir earlier pointed out that even joining the party required a membership fee of RM4.

"Everything involves paying money. If he or she wants to join and then later wants a position, that's his or her problem. We admit that we are a poor party."

A Sinar Harian report on Sunday had quoted an anonymous source who claimed that someone was offered the position of division chief at a price of RM250,000.

Yet to determine on seats

Meanwhile, asked on the number of seats Bersatu planned to contest in the election, Mahathir said they have yet to determine this.

"We want to ensure that the candidates are winnable. If all srikandi (women's wing members) can win then all of them can be fielded," said Mahathir, when asked whether there was a quota for the women's wing.

The former premier, who had earlier chaired the party's supreme council special meeting said they had also discussed the party's manifesto.

Although the matter was not urgent, Mahathir said it was important to inform the people what they stand for.

"It's not just about waiting to become prime minister but what is our objective apart from becoming the next government," he said.

Meanwhile, Mahathir also responded to the settlement reached between 1MDB and International Petroleum Investment Corporation (IPIC).

"They said money had been paid to Aabar but IPIC said that Aabar doesn't belong to them.

"1MDB paid a lot of money to this fake company and now they are going to pay the authentic company. So we are paying twice, we lose two times," he noted.

According to filings to the London Stock Exchange, IPIC said that it will receive US$1.2 billion in two equal payments on July 31 and Dec 31.

DAP parliamentarian Tony Pua pointed out that the settlement announced by IPIC implied that 1MDB would pay an additional US$3.5 billion, on top of the US$3.5 billion it had already paid to Aabar BVI, a firm 1MDB claimed posed as IPIC's subsidiary.- Mkini