Zafrul's jump from Umno to PKR tests ties in Malaysia's unity govt

Minister's move means Anwar must keep harmony between allies in any reshuffle

- Harith Mustaffa

JOHOR BAHRU - Malaysian minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz's recent exit from Umno to join Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) has sparked calls for him to resign and raised tensions between the two key parties within the ruling alliance.

Datuk Seri Zafrul occupies the post of Minister for Investment, Trade and Industry by virtue of being appointed a senator, a position whose term will expire in December.

This coveted spot in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's Cabinet was one of seven ministerial positions held by Umno after the last Cabinet reshuffle on Dec 12, 2023. This compares against the eight ministerial posts occupied by the Prime Minister's party PKR, which are part of the 16 posts in total held by Pakatan Harapan (PH), the coalition that PKR leads.

As a result, the minister's announcement on May 30 that he was leaving Umno has stirred concern not only over shifting allegiances among the disparate allies, but also over Umno's continued influence in Datuk Seri Anwar's so-called unity government.

These concerns were voiced by Deputy Prime Minister and Umno president Zahid Hamidi a day later.