Ghafar Baba’s son says won’t join Parti Pribumi, quits Dr M’s citizens’ declaration

(MMO) – Former PAS man Tamrin Abdul Ghafar said today he will not be joining Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s new party Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.

Tamrin, the son of former deputy prime minister and Umno strongman, the late Tun Abdul Ghafar Baba, also said he will no longer be a part of the secretariat of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s citizens’ declaration.

“After carefully thinking about it I have decided that I will not join the new party being formed by TSMY,” Tamrin said in a statement, referring to Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is Parti Pribumi’s protem committee president.

“I am also withdrawing myself from the secretariat of the Citizens’ Declaration which is headed by Tun Mahathir,” he added.

The former Batu Berendam MP did not elaborate on his decision to do so.

When contacted, Tamrin declined to explain, saying only that he gave it serious thought beforehand.

He was adamant on keeping his reasons to himself, but did not rule out the possibility that he may join another political party later.

“I have deliberated over this for some time. I don’t need to give a reason (for my actions) but I can confirm that the statement was mine,” he told Malay Mail Online today.

Formed by several prominent Malay leaders who left Umno, Parti Pribumi is seen as a bid to win Malay support, especially in the hinterland, at the next general election due by 2018.

The party is yet to be formally registered by the Registrar of Societies.

Parti Pribumi has come under criticism for racism over its tiered membership system, in which non-Bumiputera may apply to join but may not stand for internal elections.

Ghafar was Dr Mahathir’s first deputy, before he fell out of favour with the latter during Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s rise.

In April, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak attended an event to honour Tamrin’s father, during which he told Umno members to emulate the former deputy prime minister’s loyalty to the party and its leadership.

Tamrin joined PAS in 2012, before quitting the Islamist party in late 2014 over “broken promises” by its leadership.