[UPDATED] Bersatu veep Rafiq quits party after passed over for Tangga Batu

KUALA LUMPUR – Bersatu vice-president Datuk Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen is quitting the party immediately, following his disappointment after not being selected as a 15th general election (GE15) candidate in Tangga Batu, his constituency of choice.  

At a press conference today, he lamented how his apparent contributions to the people of Tangga Batu have been left unacknowledged, with Bersatu leaders instead offering him a candidacy in ostensibly more challenging seats.

“During the earlier stages (of GE15), I was told by the top leaders of Bersatu that I will be named as the PN (Perikatan Nasional) candidate for Tangga Batu, but a few days ago they offered me three alternative seats, all of them outside of Melaka.

“One of the areas offered was the Bagan Datuk parliamentary seat, where Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is set to contest.”

He also claimed that Bersatu “no longer respects party structure” as his position as party vice-president had ostensibly not been considered prior to candidates being chosen.

Noting that he had submitted his resignation letter to Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin “a few days ago”, Rafiq said that he will be taking a break from politics to spend time with his family. 

“I am not thinking about my political direction at the moment. Let me rest for a while and be with my family.”

Assuring that he will not be accepting offers from other political parties to contest under their banner nor considering running as an independent candidate, he urged voters to “judge for themselves” the predicament he was stuck in. 

“Let the people decide. I have done my best to devote myself to the people of Tangga Batu but instead, I am offered to run in Bagan Datuk against (the) Umno president (Zahid). 

“I don’t want to speculate whether this is an attempt by others to kill my political career, but voters can judge for themselves,” he said, asserting that voters in Tangga Batu disagree with the party decision to not field him as a candidate in the area. 

Rafiq, who was also Tangga Batu PN chairman and Bersatu chief prior to his resignation today, had previously served as the Melaka PN and Bersatu chairman before stepping down following his defeat in the state polls in November last year. 

While PN has yet to issue a statement on its GE15 candidates for Melaka, PAS confirmed yesterday that it will be fielding candidates in the Tangga Batu and Jasin parliamentary seats. – The Vibes, October 30, 2022