JOHOR BARU, Oct 12 — Outspoken Umno leader Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed today mocked Perikatan Nasional (PN) for nominating its chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as its prime ministerial candidate for the 15th general election.

The Johor Umno deputy chief questioned if the coalition had no other suitable candidate than Muhyiddin who had the shortest stint as PM to date, from March 2020 to August last year.

"Why didn’t PAS nominate Hadi to be PM?” he mused in a Facebook post, referring to the Islamist party’s president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang.

"Oooo, maybe PAS leaders and members have no confidence in Hadi’s ability to be PM. Or maybe his highest level is to be a party president. Or maybe Muhyiddin and Bersatu did not want to give way to a PAS representative to lead so that Bersatu can remain Big Brother in PN,” he added.

He also wondered why Bersatu did not nominate its other member, Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali who had been a senior minister in the Cabinet before Parliament’s dissolution.

"Maybe Bersatu does not trust Umno and PKR traitors as the number one man,” Nur Jazlan added.

He continued to mock PN’s move to "recycle” Muhyiddin for the top government post, calling the latter a failure during his 18-month tenure and later as the National Recovery Council chairman.

"It seems that the PN does not have a credible and worthy candidate to be promoted as a ‘poster boy’ for the PM candidate.

"Perhaps Bersatu and Muhyiddin want to make history by being appointed as prime minister for the second time like Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad,” he added.

Nur Jazlan was responding to news reports of PN naming Muhyiddin as its choice prime minister if the coalition wins GE15.

PN deputy chairman Datuk Dr Dominic Lau, who is also Gerakan president, was reported to have said that the three component parties including Bersatu and PAS have agreed to appoint the PN chairman as prime minister.

Nur Jazlan also fired a broadside at PAS, labelling it arrogant, egotistic, and greedy in seeking to partner Umno without cutting ties with Bersatu.

"Since PAS does not want to fulfil the three conditions by Umno; then it’s goodbye despite having been given the opportunity.

"Let PAS be with Bersatu and Gerakan in PN. Umno is determined to go solo and wants to strengthen the unity in BN to face GE15,” he said.

Nur Jazlan said that Umno would rather move forward instead of looking back at the past.

"Umno will continue to focus on GE15 to restore the people’s welfare and strengthen the country’s position after the next election,” he said.