SHAH ALAM, Nov 24 — The Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) Supreme Council will hold an emergency meeting tonight.
Bersatu vice-president Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee today said the meeting is to discuss president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s announcement earlier today that he will not defend his position in the next party election due next year.
“This evening, here, it will be chaired by the deputy president, so we will see after that. The way I see it, we still need Tan Sri to lead the party,” he told reporters at the sideline of the sixth Bersatu’s annual general assembly at the Ideal Convention Centre, here.
“We can (move forward without Muhyiddin), but we need him. I’m not saying without him we will collapse, but in the context of the party’s struggle, we still need him until a certain period in the future,” he said.
Kiandee said the reaction among party members during Muhyiddin’s announcement showed a strong signal that Muhyiddin is still the man to helm the post.
“You can see the reactions of the delegates. They rejected his proposal to not run as a candidate in next year’s party election.
“That’s a clear and strong signal from them to show that they still need him to stay as president,” he said.
“I think it’s too early for him to announce that as the time period until the next party election is quite long,” he added.
Earlier in his speech today, Muhyiddin announced that he won’t be defending his position as Bersatu’s president for the next party election.
Muhyiddin was elected as Bersatu president in the party’s first internal election in August 2020.
Later in a press conference, Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said that Muhyiddin’s decision not to contest for the party president post next year is merely a proposal.
