KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 — Segamat MP Datuk Seri Edmund Santhara Kumar has not quit Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), according to party information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan.

Wan Saiful told news portal Free Malaysia Today that Santhara only intended to relinquish his position as head of Bersatu’s associate wing.

"I just spoke to Santhara. He explained that he only wished to resign as head of the party’s associate wing.

"That was the content of the letter he sent. It wasn’t to resign from the party,” he was quoted as saying.

Wan Saiful said Bersatu’s top leadership would consider Santhara’s request and advised the public and party members against believing in sources who have "ulterior motives”.

National news agency Bernama reported Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin saying yesterday that the party would not be weakened if Santhara quit since the future of the party is determined by its membership as a whole and not merely a single MP amid speculation of the latter’s resignation.

However, Hamzah declined to confirm or deny whether the party leadership had received Santhara’s resignation letter as reported by sources.

He also said Santhara’s status as deputy minister of tourism, arts and culture will be announced later.

Santhara joined Bersatu in August 2020 and was appointed as the leader of the party’s associated wing.

Bersatu continues to be dogged by news reports of its members leaving in recent months.

In a separate news article today, Free Malaysia Today reported former Permas assemblyman Che Zakaria Mohd Salleh announced he is leaving Bersatu for Parti Amanah Negara.

His announcement was made after the Johor Amanah Convention 2022 in the state’s capital of Johor Bahru where his membership form was accepted by the party’s deputy president Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub.

Che Zakaria said the decision was taken without coercion from anyone and was made carefully after five months of deep thought on which party he wanted to join.

"I chose Amanah because it is a party free from bureaucracy and leadership problems,” he was quoted saying.

He also claimed that two former Johor assemblymen, one of who was a former state executive councillor from Bersatu, would also follow in his footsteps and join Amanah at a later date.

Salahuddin noted that Che Zakaria did so willingly, sincerely and timely without any other motives and expectations other than agreeing with the principles and ideologies of Amanah.

"When the state legislative assembly was dissolved in February 2022 for the Johor state election, he could have come to us to secure a nomination from Amanah to attempt to carry on his political career after he was denied a nomination by his former party Bersatu.

"Yet he did not do so, only doing so several months later,” Salahuddin was quoted saying.

Che Zakaria was Permas assemblyman from May 2018 to March 2022, after he defeated former Johor mentri besar and current Umno vice president Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin for the seat in a four-cornered contest.