Batu MP: Party chiefs, ministers asked me to hop parties

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P Prabakaran (PH-Batu) claims that numerous senior politicians, including the heads of political parties and ministers, had approached him to defect from Pakatan Harapan during the lockdown in 2020.

The PKR MP told the Dewan Rakyat that their attempts to coax him to join the government bloc had failed, adding that he had more “honour and principles” than the 39 MPs who had hopped parties since 2018.

“During the lockdown (in 2020), many ministers, deputy ministers, politicians and party presidents approached me to hop over there (the government bloc).

“They thought that, as the youngest MP, I had no principles or political direction. They thought they could influence me into hopping to the government bloc, but they failed.

Azman Ghani/The Star

“There was a politician who told me: ‘What government-linked company (GLC) do you want? You choose, I can give.’”

Debating the constitutional amendment bill in the House today, Prabakaran claimed he was offered projects and a minister’s post in exchange for switching allegiance.

However, he maintained that he had never once thought of chasing after positions or money as he was loyal to his voters.

“I have to thank the government and prime minister for this memorandum of understanding that ensures that no more MPs will be jumping here and there, with opposition MPs given equal allocations and fair treatment.”

Meanwhile, Rusnah Aluai (PH-Tangga Batu) also claimed that she was invited to party-hop in 2020, telling the Dewan Rakyat that this occurred through a WhatsApp text message.

She said she was asked in June 2020 if she wanted to “do horse trading”, adding that she naively thought the person messaging her was asking about a government project.

“I was confused. We weren’t in the government anymore and we can’t give any allocations for any project.

“It turned out that I was the ‘horse’ they wanted to trade.” – FMT