KUALA LUMPUR – A recent photo of an apparently cheery meeting between Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin and several former Penang DAP veterans has raised questions on what happened behind closed doors.
The photo, which was posted by Hamzah on his Facebook page today, shows the opposition leader posing alongside former Penang deputy chief minister II P. Ramasamy, ex-Bagan Dalam assemblyman Satees Muniandy and former Perai assemblyman David Marshel.
Hamzah had shared the photo with a coffee emoji and a caption saying: “Old friends from Penang.”
All three former DAP figures had quit the party in spectacular fashion during the run-up to last month’s Penang election after they were dropped as candidates, claiming that their exclusion was a “political purge” to remove those perceived to be aligned with Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
When contacted by Scoop, Ramasamy said the meeting occurred in Kuala Lumpur yesterday and saw the group discussing political matters.
“I have known (Hamzah) for a long time, from my Parliament days. Met him in KL for coffee yesterday. Just exchanged views on political developments,” he said in a text message.
Insisting that the gathering was merely a “meeting between long-time friends,” Ramasamy also denied the event has any relation to his recent Facebook post where he asserted that Malay support for the unity government is decreasing at a rapid pace.
In the lengthy post, Ramasamy, who is a former Batu Kawan MP, said Indians are “distancing” themselves from the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim-led administration due to how the government has failed to “genuinely” address issues faced by the community.
“A majority of Indians had hoped for reforms under (Anwar’s) administration, but those hopes have turned to disappointment.
“Some Indians will turn to PN (Perikatan Nasional) in the future, even though the coalition has yet to formulate an agenda for non-Malays in the country.” – September 22, 2023