KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 — Malaysia will plunge into deeper political disarray if Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin nominates Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu as his party's choice for deputy prime minister instead of Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, an Umno supreme council member claimed.
Datuk Puad Zarkashi was weighing in on possible outcomes following Muhyiddin's meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob several days ago.
The Umno man claimed that Muhyiddin wanted Ahmad Faizal to be DPM as the latter holds a higher party rank as Bersatu deputy president.
"Azmin will definitely be incensed. And national politics will be more unstable,” Puad said in a Facebook post yesterday.
Azmin, who is international trade and investment minister, had been a long-time member of PKR who walked out with several Pakatan Harapan MPs in 2020 and formed a new government under Muhyiddin. He was later appointed a senior minister in Ismail Sabri’s government that took over last year.
Puad also pointed out that apart from wanting someone from Bersatu to be appointed DPM, Muhyiddin also wanted his partyman to replace Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin as plantation industries and commodities minister after she left for Parti Bangsa Malaysia.
Puad, who is also Rengit assemblyman, further wrote that Muhyiddin wants the matter to be expedited to avoid further defections from his party.
"Muhyiddin’s actions will lead to political instability. If his demands are not met, he will continue to threaten and pressure the PM," Puad said.
He urged Ismail Sabri, who is also Umno vice-president, not to cave in to Muhyiddin's demands.
Muhyiddin previously said his meeting with Ismail Sabri was to consider the previous agreement between the Perikatan Nasional coalition and the prime minister.
* Editor's note: An earlier version erroneously used his father's name to refer to Ahmad Faizal, and has since been corrected.
