KUALA LUMPUR: Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh said he will leave the fate of Rembia assemblyman Datuk Muhammad Jailani Khamis, who has left the party to join PAS, in the hand of the Umno’s supreme council.
He said the matter would be scrutinised per the rules and laws of the party’s constitution and the state legislative assembly.
Ab Rauf said he would also leave any decision on Muhammad Jailani’s status as an assemblyman to the speaker of the state legislative assembly.
He said all Umno assemblymen, including Muhammad Jailani, had signed a letter of undertaking before being elected. The letter stipulates that the representative would bear any cost incurred by the party if they chose to defect or leave for another political party.
“These are the rules, and he and the rest of the assemblymen (unity government) signed the letter of undertaking, including me. Only after this letter is signed will an individual be allowed to contest as a candidate for the general elections.” Ab Rauf said.
He said the state government was in a secure position, occupying 26 out of 28 seats in the state legislative assembly, and was committed to continuing to serve the people.
Ab Rauf said Muhammad Jailani’s departure from the unity government did not affect the status of the state government.
He also extended his appreciation to Muhammad Jailani for his service to Barisan Nasional and the unity government.
“We would like to thank him for his contributions. He has chosen to join PAS on his own will as a medium to carry out his duties,” he said.
Muhammad Jailani was first elected as Rembia assemblyman in 2018 under Pakatan Harapan’s banner. During Pakatan’s administration, he was made a state executive councillor (Exco) under the helm of the then Chief Minister Adly Zahari.
He then quit PKR in 2020 and continued as an independent representative before rejoining Umno in 2021. In the same year, he defended his seat under the Barisan Nasional during the Melaka state election.
He was reappointed as Exco during the tenure of then-Chief Melaka Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali before he was dropped by Ab Rauf, who took over from Sulaiman in March last year.
