KUALA LUMPUR, June 4 — Four Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s Supreme Council members walked out of its meeting tonight after insisting the attempt to dismiss Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and four others from the party today is unlawful.

The four — Abu Bakar Yahya, Akramsyah Sanusi, Ulya Aqamah Husamudin and Tariq Ismail — said that the reason given to annul the membership of Dr Mahathir and the others could not be used as the decision to join Perikatan Nasional (PN) was never agreed to by the council itself.

"There are no meeting minutes in the Supreme Council including the February 23 and 24 meeting that shows the party Supreme Council accepted PN.

"How can you use the excuse that Dr Mahathir and the others are joining the opposition while Perikatan Nasional was never formalised as a coalition?” said Akramsyah, who was one of the founding members of Bersatu.

The four however denied that they attended to represent Dr Mahathir and his allies, but merely representing the grassroots whom they said are concerned which what seems to be a leadership crisis in the party.

Bersatu supreme council member Akramsyah Muammar Ubaidah Sanusi speaks to the media after leaving the Bersatu meeting in Kuala Lumpur June 4, 2020. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

Akramsyah said that any policy decision by the party should be made by an Annual General Meeting or Emergency General Meeting as other political party did when they were joining a political coalition.

"So how can we punish the five MPs when they make decision not to stay with PN?

"This issue has stirred doubts in grassroot members because it births the questions if Tun did not join [PH] and his membership can be annulled, will it mean that all Bersatu MPs who joined PN [without party approval] can be removed?

"PAS and Umno announced their decision [to join or leave coalition] through AGM, but why can’t we?” he said.

Ulya Aqamah Husamudin (right) speaks to the media after leaving the Bersatu meeting in Kuala Lumpur June 4, 2020. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

The four walked out at around 10.45pm after spending almost two hours in the meeting.

They said that the rest of the supreme council are continuing discussions for other matters including the party’s inaugural internal polls which is scheduled to happen this year.

However, Akramsyah said that this too should be postponed indefinitely, as the world, including Malaysia, is handling the Covid-19 pandemic now.

Bersatu is embroiled in a leadership tussle involving two factions led by president Muhyiddin that is pro-PN, and another led by disputed chairman Dr Mahathir that is opposed to PN.

The membership of Dr Mahathir, Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah and Maszlee Malik were annulled by the party earlier this month, but the five insisted that they are still party members.