MORE than 100 members of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) in the Lubok Gong near Rantau Panjang in Kelantan announced on Saturday that they have resigned from the party with immediate effect and joined UMNO, citing irreconcilable differences with local PKR leadership.
The group said their decision stemmed from a loss of confidence in the Rantau Panjang PKR division chief, Nik Ghazali Nik Md Amin, whom they accused of failing to work in tandem with grassroots members.
Former PKR Lubok Gong Mukim Branch chief Ariffin Ismail, 63, said members who had joined PKR over the past two years were increasingly disillusioned by what they described as a lack of engagement and cooperation from the divisional leadership.
“I and other members felt unappreciated and, for the past two years, I had been working on my own with non-governmental organisations to help flood victims and to pay condolence visits to bereaved families,” he said. “As a division chief, he should have been on the ground with us, but instead it was UMNO leaders who were present and assisting the people.”
Ariffin said the group had therefore decided to leave PKR with effect from Saturday and join UMNO under the leadership of Rantau Panjang UMNO division chief Datuk Akbar Salim.
He added that UMNO was chosen because members believed the party was closer to the rakyat and more responsive to community needs, particularly during flood disasters.
“For today alone, more than 100 residents have announced their resignation from the party, and I am confident that more PKR members in this mukim will follow suit,” he said. - December 13, 2025
