GUA MUSANG, Aug 3 — Umno has issued a letter of demand to Rembia assemblyman Datuk Muhammad Jailani Khamis, seeking RM100 million in compensation following his decision to join PAS.

Umno president and Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi confirmed this today.

"For the Rembia assemblyman, a letter of demand has been issued for him to pay the RM100 million to BN,” he told reporters during a voter engagement programme for the Nenggiri by-election at Dewan Kampung Jerek here.

On Wednesday, the Umno supreme council agreed to initiate legal action seeking damages and compensation of RM100 million from Muhammad Jailani, who was confirmed by PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan to have joined PAS in June.

Following this announcement, Umno secretary-general Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said every Umno and BN elected representative is bound by an agreement and pledge signed before a Commissioner of Oaths, involving a bond of RM100 million.

In a related development, Ahmad Zahid said the BN candidate for the Nenggiri by-election, Mohd Azmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani, is also required to sign the same agreement and pledge.

"All BN candidates are bound by an oath and agreement not to leave the party, and if they do, the bond to be paid is RM100 million,” he said.

The by-election, scheduled for August 17, was called after Kelantan State Assembly Speaker Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah declared the seat vacant on June 19 because its assemblyman, Mohd Azizi Abu Naim, had ceased to be a member of Bersatu on June 13.

In last year’s state election, Mohd Azizi won the seat on a PAS ticket, beating BN’s Ab Aziz Yusoff by a majority of 810 votes.

The Nenggiri seat has 20,259 registered voters, comprising 20,245 regular voters and 14 members of the police force. — Bernama