KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 — The Bersatu supreme council had never agreed to nominate Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister and is still firmly behind Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Datuk Kadir Jasin claimed today.
Kadir, also a member of the council, said Muhyiddin’s nomination by Bersatu’s 25 MPs was done without the consent of the party’s top leadership.
The allegation came just hours after the party issued a statement declaring support for Muhyiddin — who is now seen closer to obtaining majority support from the Dewan Rakyat after receiving nominations from Barisan Nasional, PAS and possibly Sabah’s Warisan this evening.
“The last decision the MPT (top leadership council) made during Monday’s meeting was to affirm its support for Tun Dr Mahathir to remain as prime minister,” he said in a statement.
Kadir said the declaration of support for Muhyiddin by Bersatu’s MPs came from the party’s secretary-general, Datuk Marzuki Yahya, and not the MPT.
If true, Kadir’s claim suggests a division within Bersatu which until this evening indicated its willingness to forge an alliance with rivals Umno and PAS.
Dr Mahathir had quit as Bersatu chairman on Monday purportedly in protest against the move to collaborate with Umno, a point he reiterated again during a special address delivered on live television on Wednesday when he explained his sudden resignation as prime minister.
But in a complete turnaround, Dr Mahathir took up the post again yesterday. This morning, the Bersatu chairman was believed to have held a meeting with all of the party’s MPs including with Muhyiddin.
He did not speak to the press when leaving.
