Sixty Bayan Lepas Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) members defected, citing a loss of confidence in the party's ability to provide for the people of Penang, and joined UMNO today.

The group's representative, Mohd Eruwan Yusof, 35, said that after five years of supporting PKR, they now realised that the party's struggles were meaningless to the people.

"We were too excited for change at the time and gave them our full support but lately we feel that the situation in Penang has deteriorated instead of improving," he said.

He was speaking to reporters after receiving UMNO membership forms from Bayan Lepas assemblyman Syed Ameruddin Syed Ahmad at the Taman Emas Flats, Sungai Batu, here.

Meanwhile, Syed Ameruddin said the group's action proved that the people's support for UMNO and Barisan Nasional was strengthening.

People are beginning to realise that the opposition coalition's political ploys are a waste of time, he added.