KLANG, March 8 — Kulim-Bandar Baru MP Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution alleged Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin misled the Yang di-Pertuan Agong when he said all 36 Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia MPs supported him.

The PKR secretary-general said on the day of Muhyiddin’s swearing-in, Pakatan leaders filed a police report against him over this fact.

"We only need to prove that Muhyiddin does not have a simple Parliamentary majority of 112 MPs, since not all 36 Bersatu MPs stood behind him,” Saifuddin said during the Jelajah Harapan ceramah at Taman Sri Andalas.

Before a 350-strong crowd, the former domestic trade and consumer affairs minister said six or seven Bersatu MPs did not support its party president.

"People like Langkawi MP Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Jerlun MP Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, Kubang Pasu MP Amiruddin Hamzah, and Simpang Renggam MP Maszlee Malik.

"They were not with Muhyiddin when he handed in the statutory declarations of 36 MPs to the Agong. This was the basis of our report lodged with the police,” he said.

Saifuddin added Pakatan also decided to publicise the matter by going on a roadshow to explain to the rakyat what happened.

Although he denounced Muhyiddin’s appointment as prime minister and the expulsion of former PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali from the party as "treachery without bounds”, Saifuddin also expressed sympathy for the former.

"Listening to his maiden speech as PM in which he claimed he is not a traitor and only took action to save the country, it sounds to me to be coming from someone with a restless soul.

"I pity him because he is a recovering cancer patient. Whenever Cabinet met every Wednesday of the week, Muhyiddin would only attend once a month as the rest of the time he was on medical leave,” he said.

Saifuddin questioned how Muhyiddin, whom he said had been unable to perform his full duties as the home minister due to health reasons, could now hope to do so as prime minister with all its attendant pressures.

"Other challenges await, such as determining how long he can hold onto power by making sure all Perikatan Nasional parties cooperate with each other.

"Both the country and the world will be watching and waiting to see how PN will differ from Pakatan. And lastly, how will Muhyiddin form an inter-communal relationship with the rakyat of diverse backgrounds,” he said, adding this will in turn influence Malaysia’s economic direction and have an impact on investors’ confidence.

Anthony Loke speaks during a Jelajah Harapan event in Klang March 7, 2020. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

Seremban MP Anthony Loke also spoke at the ceramah, saying that PH as a whole is confident that power not derived from the rakyat will not last, since it lacked the rakyat’s mandate.

"In the political turmoil, DAP has frequently been blamed. But our leadership took a calm approach in facing the troubles ahead.

"For us, we look to the Rukun Negara as our guiding principles; namely loyalty to King and country, the supremacy of the Federal Constitution, and sovereignty of the law,” he said.

The former transport minister said Muhyiddin’s main challenge now is to prove he has parliamentary support.

"But its sitting next Monday has been postponed to May 18, which is to be expected since his Cabinet has not even been formed yet.

"Were the Dewan Rakyat to convene on Monday, Muhyiddin would have to answer any questions from the MPs, since the ministries are currently vacant. So it is not a surprise why it has been pushed to May 18,” he said.

Loke also told the audience to be wary, as Perikatan Nasional preferably seeks snap elections so that Umno and PAS can win enough seats to form the main government.

"But will Umno allow Bersatu to take its 36 seats uncontested, and allow Muhyiddin to continue on as prime minister? Certainly not, I think.

"If ever snap elections are called, I plead with the constituents of Kota Raja to continue supporting Pakatan. We may lose our ministerial positions, but we can never lose the principles of our struggle for the rakyat and Malaysia,” he said.