KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 — Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today issued a rebuttal against claims that he had insulted the previous Yang di-Pertuan Agong in his speech during the Nenggiri by-election campaign last week and said that he had cooperated fully with the police after being questioned by them today, asserting that he remained loyal to the institution of constitutional monarchy.
In a statement posted on Facebook today, Muhyiddin said his speech had no intent to insult the monarchy and described it as a factual account related to the formation of the government post-GE15 and the challenges faced by the people due to certain government policies.
“As an ordinary citizen, I take shelter under the greatness and nobility of the Malay Rulers, and my loyalty to the institution of constitutional monarchy should not be questioned,” he said in the statement.
Muhyiddin accused some parties of distorting his speech by editing video clips to falsely suggest that he had insulted the Agong or incited hatred against the monarchy.
He firmly denied these allegations, asserting that his comments were based on the 115 statutory declarations that supported his appointment as prime minister after the 15th General Election, and expressed hope that the police investigation would be conducted transparently and fairly.
“My speech had no intention of insulting the institution of the monarchy in this country. It was an election campaign speech where I briefly stated the facts about the formation of the government after the PRU-15 and then discussed the hardships faced by the people due to government policies that oppressed them,” said the statement.
He pointed out that his speech, delivered nearly two years ago, did not insult the monarchy nor dispute the King’s decisions at the time.
Muhyiddin recalled issuing a congratulatory statement to the 10th prime minister on November 24, 2022, reaffirming his respect for the monarchy.
In the TikTok video in which Muhyiddin is alleged to have made the remarks while campaigning for the by-election in Nenggiri, Kelantan, he could be heard claiming he had the support of 115 MPs that, if true, would have enabled him to form the government after the 15th general election.
He then alleged that he was not invited to do so, before pointedly asking the crowd who the Agong was at the time.
Muhyiddin’s Perikatan Nasional coalition won 74 seats in GE15.
As no single party or coalition won the election outright, the Agong at the time Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah eventually appointed Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the prime minister after the latter cobbled together a unity coalition of all Malaysian parties outside of PN.
Yesterday, Pahang Crown Prince Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah said in a statement from the Pahang palace that Muhyiddin’s remarks were demeaning to his father, and urged the police to strictly apply the law in this matter.
Separately, Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman also said yesterday that 28 reports had been lodged against Muhyiddin over his remarks up to then.
