KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 7 — Two former ministers Datuk Seri Zuraida Kamaruddin from Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) and Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof from Bersatu have been appointed as Muafakat Nasional (MN) deputy presidents.

The NGO’s president Tan Sri Annuar Musa also announced today that the two remaining posts of deputy president would be filled by Muslim preacher Ridhuan Tee Abdullah and former Segamat MP Datuk Seri Edmund Santhara Kumar.

"These appointments are to ensure that previously planned activities can be implemented.

"It also means that Muafakat Nasional becomes an NGO that is truly authoritative and produces positive ideas with the construction of the nation state in mind,” Annuar said during a press conference today.

Annuar, who is the former Umno and Barisan Nasional secretary-general, also announced that to date, MN has amassed more than 25,000 members from across all 222 parliamentary constituencies nationwide.

He said the NGO had agreed to launch a pro tem committee for state leadership based on the parliamentary and state assembly models in order to accommodate the members as well as ensure the delivery of aid and the organisation of programmes for the people’s benefit.

However, Annuar insisted that MN will remain as an NGO for now.

"We have enough political parties. We shall remain as an NGO. We believe that we can forge our own path without becoming a political party.

As for why the state leadership is set up like political party, Annuar said the Registrar of Societies (RoS) had approved this, and that "the objective was more important”.

"We can follow either by-election boundaries or normal administration boundaries such as the borders of Jajahan or Mukim,” he said, insisting that all MN wanted to do was "reach out to communities.”

Parti Pejuang Tanah Air’s Datuk Khairuddin Abu Hassan, Bersatu’s Badrul Hisham Shaharin, PAS’ Datuk Zuhdi Marzuki, Umno’s Datuk Budiman Zohri, composer Datuk Wah Idris and actress Jasper Suppayah are some of the notable personalities who make up MN’s supreme council.

MN, which was launched last month, has the same name as the former political alliance between Umno and PAS formed in 2019, a year after Pakatan Harapan (PH) took power as the federal government.

Annuar was expelled from Umno last month for his criticism of party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and for allegedly helping the party’s rivals in the 15th general election (GE15).

During the November national polls, Umno decided not to allow Annuar to defend his parliamentary seat of Ketereh in Kelantan for a third time.