Ex-Bersatu MP mulls defending Bukit Gantang under PKR

Bukit Gantang MP Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal is considering defending his parliamentary seat on a PKR ticket in the 16th general election (GE16).

Syed Hussin, who used to be from Umno and Bersatu, said the other possibility was contesting in GE16 as an independent candidate, Utusan Malaysia reported.

“I see two possibilities. Firstly, contesting as an independent, and secondly, possibly aligning with Anwar Ibrahim through PKR. I want to see whether voters value an MP based on their service rather than the party logo they contest under.

“To me, the party is just a platform. The true political struggle is carried by the individual. We cannot assume that someone is incapable of serving well just because they are not in a certain party,” he said.

Syed Hussin is among the Bersatu MPs who decided to back Anwar’s administration in late 2023, resulting in his expulsion from the party.

The others are Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang MP), Dr Zulkafperi Hanapi (Tanjong Karang MP), Zahari Kechik (Jeli MP), Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar MP) and Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan MP).

The two-term MP used to be with Umno, and was first elected Bukit Gantang MP in 2018 on a Barisan Nasional ticket with a majority of 4,089 votes.

He left Umno after BN fell from federal power that year, and joined Bersatu in June 2020. In the 2022 general election, he defended his seat on a Perikatan Nasional ticket and won with a whopping 12,756-vote majority.